Baked Meatballs Parmesan

March 29, 2025

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Baked Meatballs Parmesan is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring juicy and tender meatballs smothered in marinara sauce, ricotta cheese dolloped throughout the dish, and melted mozzarella cheese, then baked to perfection. This dish is easy to prepare and makes a hearty meal when served over pasta, on a sub roll, or alongside a crisp salad. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners or potlucks!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

My recipe is super simple to make, despite all of the ingredients and steps. It’s hearty, cheesy, and saucy; everything you could ask for in a comforting dinner. You can knock down some of the prep time by buying frozen meatballs and a jar of pasta sauce, but you would be missing out on the big flavors that it brings when homemade. The meatballs are almost melt in your mouth tender when baked in the marinara sauce. My recipe is a family-friendly option that both adults and children will be asking for seconds! Serve this over pasta, as a sub, or on its own.

Ingredients for Baked Meatballs Parmesan

Ground Beef & Ground Sausage: The meat for the meatballs. I love using this combo because the beef provides a hearty, meaty base while the sausage adds extra fat and seasoning which makes the meatballs more flavorful and juicy. You can use just ground beef if you wish, or use a meatball mix (1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground pork, 1/3 ground veal). You can use plant based meat if you are going vegetarian/vegan for this.
Garlic: What’s an Italian-inspired recipe without garlic? A boring one! Garlic is used as a flavor builder in almost everything I make.
Grated Parmesan Cheese: Used in every component in this dish. The meatballs, sauce, and the ricotta mixture. There’s no such thing as too much cheese!
Fresh Basil: I love using fresh basil over dried basil. Of course, if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time, feel free to use dried. Fresh herbs give each dish a bit more vibrancy and freshness to it.
Yellow Onions, Panko Breadcrumbs, Milk, Eggs, Parsley: The binder & flavors for the meatballs. Mixing together the panko and milk will create a panade (used to bind ground meat or other ingredients together, preventing the meat from drying out during cooking). Of course, you still need eggs to help make sure the meatballs will stay in its form. Parsley is added for freshness, plus it’s a mild herb so it doesn’t overpower the meatball itself.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crushed Tomatoes in Puree, Tomato Paste, Sugar, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Oregano: The ingredients for the sauce. I used sugar to cut down some of the acidity from the tomatoes.
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, Garlic Powder: These two ingredients mixed with Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper create the best ricotta mixture. I use this same mixture for my lasagna since I believe ricotta by itself just needs help (although I’m guilty of dolloping leftover ricotta cheese on my pasta).
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese: Always shred your own cheese! Pre-shredded cheese is coated in an anti-caking agent which can cause it to not melt well. You want that glorious cheese pull; we all love that satisfying cheese pull.

Tips & FAQs

Storage: Allow the dish to cool completely, then cover the baking dish with saran wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Allow the dish to cool completely, then cover with foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 month. When you are ready to reheat it, thaw the dish completely in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will prevent the baking dish from shattering (if you are using glass). Always bake with a sheet pan underneath it so it catches any overflow. Bake as directed.
- Make ahead:
  - From Freezer: Make the recipe as directed through covering the meatballs in the marinara sauce, but allow the marinara sauce to cool down a bit before covering the meatballs. Do not dollop the ricotta mixture. Cover it with saran wrap, then aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 month. Once you are ready to bake it, let it thaw in the fridge until completely thawed. Remove the saran wrap but keep the foil. Continue with the recipe as directed, adding about 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
  - From Fridge: Make the recipe as directed through dolloping the ricotta mixture throughout the dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temp for 30 minutes, place a sheet pan underneath the baking dish and bake as directed, but add 10 more minutes to the time.
Can I use shortcuts? Of course, you can! But you would be missing out on all of the flavors you would have if it was homemade. You can use frozen meatballs and your favorite 28 oz jarred tomato sauce.
Can I make this in the slow cooker? This can easily be made in the slow cooker, but my recommendation would be to use my Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce and dollop the ricotta mixture throughout the pot. Cook as directed, but during the last hour, top with the mozzarella cheese. For the ricotta mixture, add 1/2 cup more of the ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp more of the basil, and 1 tbsp more of the Parmesan cheese.
What to Serve With This: Pasta is my main choice. I like serving this with rigatoni or linguine, but any pasta choice works. You can also serve this with sub rolls to make a meatball sub, with garlic bread, or eat this by itself with a side salad with an oil & red wine vinegar-based dressing, or any light vinaigrette. Roasted veggies or steamed broccoli go well, along with sauteed spinach and kale with garlic.
Wine Pairings: Any medium or full-bodied red wine will pair beautifully. Chianti is my top choice. It’s a classic Italian wine with bright acidity to cut through the richness of the dish and enhance the flavors. Other good choices would be a Zinfandel, which is bold and jammy, or a Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a bit bolder than Zinfandels with notes of dark fruits. Its tannins work well with meaty dishes such as this one. It’s best to stray away from white or rose wines for this dish. It wouldn’t pair quite as well.

Recipe

Servings 8-10

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

1 Hour

Total time

1 H & 30 M

Print

Baked Meatballs Parmesan

Baked Meatballs Parmesan is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring juicy and tender meatballs smothered in marinara sauce, ricotta cheese dolloped throughout the dish, and melted mozzarella cheese, then baked to perfection. This dish is easy to prepare and makes a hearty meal when served over pasta, on a sub roll, or alongside a crisp salad. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners or potlucks!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 lb ground beef, 80% lean
1 lb ground sausage, hot or sweet
1 small yellow onion, very finely diced (almost minced)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

For the Sauce

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes in puree
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp oregano
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

For Assembly

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
16 oz shredded mozzarella

Instructions

For the Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Combine onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 3 minutes to allow the breadcrumbs to soak in the milk.
Mix in the ground beef and sausage until just combined, being careful not to overmix. It could result in tough meatballs.
Roll the mixture into meatballs, about 2 heaping tbsp sized, and set aside on a plate. This should get you about 18 meatballs. Make the sauce.

For the Sauce

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a sauce pot. Saute garlic for 30 seconds with the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, until aromatic, stirring constantly.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, and salt. Give it a stir, then add in the tomato paste. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, covered.
Stir in the parmesan cheese and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

For Assembly

Spray a 9×13 baking dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Put the greased baking dish on top of a large baking sheet to catch any sauce overflow. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Arrange the meatballs in the dish.
Mix ricotta, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parmesan, and basil in a bowl. Dollop the ricotta cheese throughout the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, temp one of the meatballs (should be just about done), and top with the shredded mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted, meatballs temp to 165F or higher, and the dish is bubbly. Serve with extra parsley on top.

Notes

Storage: Allow the dish to cool completely, then cover the baking dish with saran wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Allow the dish to cool completely, then cover with foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 month. When you are ready to reheat it, thaw the dish completely in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge for about 30 minutes. This will prevent the baking dish from shattering (if you are using glass). Always bake with a sheet pan underneath it so it catches any overflow. Bake as directed.
Make ahead:
From Freezer: Make the recipe as directed up to covering the meatballs in the marinara sauce, but allow the marinara sauce to cool down a bit before covering the meatballs. Do not dollop the ricotta mixture. Cover it with saran wrap, then aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you are ready to bake it, let it thaw in the fridge until completely thawed. Remove the saran wrap but keep the foil. Continue with the recipe as directed, adding about 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
From Fridge: Make the recipe as directed through dolloping the ricotta mixture throughout the dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it come to room temp for 30 minutes, place a sheet pan underneath the baking dish and bake as directed, but add 10 more minutes to the time.

Can I use shortcuts? Of course, you can! But you would be missing out on all of the flavors you would have if it was homemade. You can use frozen meatballs and your favorite 28 oz jarred tomato sauce.

Can I make this in the slow cooker? This can easily be made in the slow cooker, but my recommendation would be to use my Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce and dollop the ricotta mixture throughout the pot. Cook as directed, but during the last hour, top with the mozzarella cheese. For the ricotta mixture, add 1/2 cup more of the ricotta cheese, 1 tbsp more of the basil, and 1 tbsp more of the Parmesan cheese.

What to Serve With This: Pasta is my main choice. I like serving this with rigatoni or linguine, but any pasta choice works. You can also serve this with sub rolls to make a meatball sub, with garlic bread, or eat this by itself with a side salad with an oil & red wine vinegar-based dressing, or any light vinaigrette. Roasted veggies or steamed broccoli go well, along with sauteed spinach and kale with garlic.

Wine Pairings: Any medium or full-bodied red wine will pair beautifully. Chianti is my top choice. It’s a classic Italian wine with bright acidity to cut through the richness of the dish and enhance the flavors. Other good choices would be a Zinfandel, which is bold and jammy, or a Cabernet Sauvignon, which is a bit bolder than Zinfandels with notes of dark fruits. Its tannins work well with meaty dishes such as this one. It’s best to stray away from white or rose wines for this dish. It wouldn’t pair quite as well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

683

Fat (grams)

50 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

22 g

Carbs (grams)

17 g

Fiber (grams)

2 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

40 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1527 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

151 mg

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.

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Baked Meatballs Parmesan

Table of Contents:

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Ingredients for Baked Meatballs Parmesan

Tips & FAQs