Meatball Alfredo

Name: Meatball Alfredo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef ((93% lean)); ½ cup Italian bread crumbs; ½ cup grated parmesan cheese; ⅛ cup parsley, chopped ((optional)); 1 egg; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ cup unsalted butter; 1 garlic clove, minced; 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup whole milk ((you may need more to thin the sauce)); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg; 1 cup grated parmesan cheese; 16 ounces cooked pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine etc.) ((optional))

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Want a rib-sticking, belly-filling, soul warming dinner recipe? Try this indulging homemade Meatball Alfredo that’s ready in just 20 minutes!

A QUICK HEARTY DINNER

If you are a spaghetti and meatball lover then you are going to absolutely love this recipe! It switches up the usual meatball and red sauce recipe and turns into a creamy alfredo and meatball recipe. Meatball Alfredo is the perfect combination of flavors and textures, featuring a creamy, garlic, cheesy homemade alfredo sauce with homemade, tender, flavorful meatballs. If you want dinner on the table fast without compromising flavor, this is the perfect dinner recipe!

Closely looking at Meatball Alfredo in a plate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use frozen meatballs?

Yes, but you’ll need to par-bake them first.
To par-bake frozen meatballs, preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the packaging of the meatballs. Place the frozen meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil, making sure they are spread out evenly and not touching each other. Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about half of the time recommended on the package. Once the par-baking time is complete, remove the meatballs from the oven and let them cool before using them in this recipe.

Can I use store-bought premade raw meatballs?

Yes, a lot of grocery stores carry raw, pre-made meatballs in the meat section of the store. Depending on how large they are, they may take longer to cook and you may not get as many prepackage as you would with this recipe.

How many meatballs does this make?

If you follow the recipe as written, using a 1/8 cup measuring cup (or scoop), you should get 20 meatballs.

Can I use premade jarred alfredo?

Yes, if you need to save time, you can use jarred alfredo sauce. I would recommend going with a garlic alfredo sauce.

What should I serve with this?

This is a hearty and filling pasta dish and it really is a whole meal by itself. However, you could serve with a big green salad and/or with some garlic breadsticks.

How to store leftovers?

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating the pasta add ⅛ of a cup of milk to the sauce to thin it out. I don’t recommend trying to freeze this alfredo sauce, it will break when thawed and then reheated.

Looking down on a dish of Meatball Alfredo.

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

ground beef– I like to use 93% lean ground beef but you can try other percentages, just make sure you drain and rinse well or you’ll end up with greasy meatballs. The more fat you have the more the meatballs will shrink.
Italian bread crumbs – you can use plain if that is all you have. You could also use panko bread crumbs.
parmesan cheese – you can freshly grate or or just use the stuff in the green bottle.
garlic cloves – I really recommend freshly minced garlic here. You can use the jarred stuff but it doesn’t pack as much garlic flavor as fresh.
Italian seasoning and dried oregano – I know Italian seasoning already has oregano in it but I really want to bump up that flavor so I add the extra oregano (this is optional)
salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder – I know, we already have garlic cloves so why add the garlic powder? This is optional but it adds another layer of flavor.
spaghetti– you could swap this out for other pasta varieties, just make sure it’s the same quantity.
butter – you can use unsalted or salted but it needs to be real butter and not margarine.
heavy whipping cream – it needs to be heavy cream. Really good alfredo sauce shouldn’t be made with a skim milk or half and half. You need that fat.
whole milk – I recommend sticking to whole milk for the creaminess factor. Just like the heavy cream, these work together to give you deliciously thick and flavorful sauce. Alfredo sauce is definitely not a diet food.
nutmeg – this is optional but you will find most good alfredo sauces have just a pinch of nutmeg in them. It’s not a strong, standout flavor, it just adds that little something extra that you can’t quite put your finger on.

Ground beef, bread crumbs, butter, parsley, pepper, salt, egg, garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, flour, heavy cream, onion powder, garlic powder, spaghetti, whole milk, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese.

HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL ALFREDO

Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large bowl add the meatball ingredients. Mix until combined. Use an ⅛ cup to create each portion for the meatballs. With clean hands roll each one until you have a ball. Place the meatballs onto a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

collage of two photos: meatball ingredients in a bowl; meatballs lined up on a baking sheet.

Cook the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until you have an internal temperature of 165° F. While the meatballs are cooking make the alfredo sauce and the spaghetti or whatever pasta you want to serve with these. In a saucepan over medium heat add the butter and minced garlic. Allow the butter to melt, which will take 2-3 minutes. Do not let the butter get brown.

collage of two photos: baked meatballs on a baking sheet; butter and minced garlic in a pan.

To the saucepan add the flour. Mix for 2-3 minutes. Add the heavy whipping cream, ½ cup milk, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix until combined.

collage of two photos: flour added to butter mixture in pan; pouring milk and heavy cream into pan.

Add the parmesan cheese. Mix until combined. If you want a thinner sauce add ⅛ cup of milk at a time until you have the consistency you like. To serve, plate the cooked pasta.