Meatball Sub Casserole
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!
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.
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.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings.
Spread mixture over bread slices.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
Gently mix together spaghetti sauce and meatballs.
Spoon this mixture the over cheese layer.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. If you notice it is getting too brown, you can always cover the dish loosely with a bit of aluminum foil.
Allow to cool for a few minutes then slice and serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Meatball Sub Cups
- Meatball Sub on a Stick
- Texas Toast Meatball Subs
- Italian Sub Squares
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Bacon Wrapped Meatballs
- Crock Pot Honey Garlic Meatballs
- Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
- Homemade Meatballs
- Meatball Alfredo
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Originally published: May 2012
Updated photos & Republished: June 2023
Meatball Sub Casserole (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ 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)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill in any gaps with pieces of bread.
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings. Spread mixture over bread slices.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Gently mix together spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Spoon over cream cheese layer.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. If you notice it is getting too brown, just loosely cover it with some aluminum foil.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my tips and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- For a firmer bread base, I recommend toasting the bread first. You can place the dish into the oven (on the broiler setting) and toast both sides. It should only take a minute or two.
- Note: frozen meatball packages come in varying sizes – anywhere from 18 ounces to 32 ounces. This recipe will accommodate most of those sizes. As long as you are grabbing a standard size bag and not a family size bag, it will work.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Id like to win it becuase I love to cook and bake.
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and on Pinterest too!
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I can always use more casserole recipes. They are one dish wonders.
I would love to have this book. I love casseroles and surprisingly so do my picky eaters. That meatball sub casserole looks so good. I'm gonna have to make that!!! i4sashahunter@aol.com
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I'll bet this tastes amazing!
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Can I just say that my husband loves meatballs. The recipe stated in the post is wonderful and I have printed it out to use. I can only imagine how wonderful the rest of the book is.
My family loves casseroles – new ideas are always welcome
I was in a Lowe's store today and saw a Gooseberry recipe collection cookbook and was super excited. I love me some Gooseberry! 😉 One of my daughters has a real love of meatball subs. I can't wait to try this recipe!
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First I wanted to say that casserole looks delicious!
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I would love this cookbook! As a busy mom, casseroles save the day!!!
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Our family loves to eat casseroles! We are on the go a lot and it is so easy to have a casserole ready to throw in the oven. Two nights a week, my hubby has to get dinner started for us and he loves when I have a casserole prepared for him to heat up.
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