Name: Meatball Sub Casserole (+Video)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices; 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use; 1 bag frozen Italian style meatballs, thawed; 24 ounce jar pasta sauce; dried parsley, for garnish ((optional))

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Meatball Sub Casserole is a super easy casserole dish that tastes like a meatball sub but in casserole form. So good and a family favorite!

A FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINNER RECIPE

Raise your hand if you love meatball subs? Now how would you like to take all those flavors you love about a meatball sub and turn it into a casserole? Well, here ya go folks. This was the best tasting casserole I have had in a while. Not only was it super easy to make but the flavors blended so well together. The whole family loved it!

angled photo of fully cooked Meatball Sub Casserole in a white casserole dish.

This was so good! I was looking for a recipe to use some meatballs I had in the freezer. I did not toast the bread in advance. I wanted it to soak up the sauce. It was really good. That cream cheese mixture really made it creamy. So good!
– Paige

TIPS FOR MAKING MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE:

Homemade meatballs can be used in this dish; however, you want them to be fully cooked before adding them to this dish. This is a family friendly meal and using the pre-made meatballs really makes this quick to make.
I would definitely serve this with a salad. Perhaps a big, green salad full of veggies and maybe topped with my Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing And for dessert, how about some No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu?
For a softer casserole, don’t toast the bread first. For a more firm casserole, toast the french bread slices first.
For a twist, try using thawed garlic Texas toast rather than the Italian bread.
Store any leftovers (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers, as long as it is properly wrapped, to protect against freezer burn, for up to 3 months.
I haven’t tried freezing this meal before cooking. You might be able to do it but you’d have to definitely add onto baking time so you’ll have to play that by ear and check it periodically to make sure the middle is fully cooked.

Meatball Sub Casserole shown fully baked in a white and red casserole dish with a red and white dishcloth on the side.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)

Italian bread – French bread can be used here. Basically you don’t want a bread that is too soft or it will get too soggy.
cream cheese – it’s really important that your cream cheese be fully softened or it will end up with lumps in it when you try to mix it.
mayonnaise – I know mayonnaise might seem weird in here but I need you to trust me on this. It adds additional creaminess and another layer of flavor that really makes this creamy filling taste so good!
Italian seasoning – if you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can just combine a bit of dried basil and dried oregano.
shredded mozzarella cheese – I just buy the pre-shredded mozzarella cheese but you can certainly shred yours by hand if you prefer.
frozen meatballs – I go with the Italian style meatballs and they do need to be thawed. I usually just put the bag in my refrigerator the night before I make this. They actually thaw out pretty quickly so you can also leave them out on the counter for an hour or two as well.
pasta sauce – I am a fan of Rao’s pasta sauces but I know they can be on the pricey side so use what you enjoy or can afford. It will still work great!

HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Just fill in any gaps with smaller bits of bread. I did have a couple slices of bread leftover since my loaf of Italian bread was pretty wide. I used those extra slices to make some garlic bread to serve with this.