Cheesy bake meatballs are simple enough for a weeknight meal of juicy beefy meatballs mixed in a tomato sauce then baked with creamy mozzarella cheese.

Recipe Highlights

Simple meatball recipe that you can make in less than 30 minutes.
A creamy, cheesy topping of mozzarella cheese is baked on top for a delicious pizzeria-style meatball bake.

Ingredients needed

Ground beef
Ground Italian sausage
Grated parmesan
Breadcrumbs
Egg
Fresh parsley
Crushed tomatoes
Granulated sugar
Low-moisture mozzarella
Seasonings (listed below)

Quick tips before starting

If you’re pressed on time, you do not have to sear them before baking. You can roll up the meatballs and they’ll bake all the way through in the oven. The searing just adds extra flavor from the caramelization of the meat.
You can use pre-shredded cheese but grating your own will give you the results you see in the photos.
Using whole milk mozzarella will give the best flavor but others will work just fine. The key is low-moisture mozzarella, not if it’s whole milk or not for the best melting in the oven.

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Cheesy Bake Meatballs

Cheesy bake meatballs are simple enough for a weeknight meal of juicy beefy meatballs mixed in a tomato sauce then baked with creamy mozzarella cheese.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheesy Bake Meatballs

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 55

Servings: serving

Calories: 350kcal

Equipment

9×9 baking dish

Ingredients

Meatballs

12 ounce ground beef
4 ounce ground Italian sausage
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup parsley fresh & chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon salt may need to add more to taste, variable
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Sauce

28 ounce crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt to taste

Topping

1.5 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Mix together the ingredients for the meatballs and allow to sit for minimum of 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400℉.
Roll the meatballs then sear 1 or two sides of them in a pan with a little oil on medium high heat. Do not try to cook them all the way through, you're only searing them. Place the seared meatballs into the baking dish.
In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the sauce and taste for salt. When finished, pour the sauce over the meatballs in the dish. Then, spread the shredded cheese across the top.
Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and browning.
Once finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.