These Italian Meatballs are baked in marinara sauce and topped with melted Mozzarella cheese. These are perfect to serve with spaghetti, in subs, or as a side dish for a potluck or holiday! This is an easy dish to make ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze for later.
Be sure to serve this with a side of my garlic bread with cheese or my incredible No Knead Bread!
Baked Meatballs
I am so excited to share this recipe with you, (which can also be found in The Cozy Cookbook on page 77!)
These meatballs are SO juicy and tender, and it’s all due to the miracle of using a panade. It makes these meatballs melt in your mouth.
I love serving this when we have people over, either as a simple side dish or to serve with spaghetti or sub rolls. (BONUS: It’s make-ahead and Crock Pot friendly!)
Let’s talk about the panade and what it does:
What is a Panade?
A panade is a mixture of starch and liquid that is combined to form a paste. It’s mixed in with meat for meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers to preserve the tender texture of the meat.
When meat cooks, the proteins expand and contract and in doing so, moisture escapes. The starch in the panade turns to a gel when cooked and lubricates the fibers in the meat as it cooks, which makes these extra juicy and flavorful!
How to Make It
The bottom of this post also contains recipe card with ingredients and full instructions.
- Soften the onions and garlic in a pan and set aside to cool.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings in a small bowl.
- Combine the eggs and milk in another small bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine until a paste forms. (This is the panade.) Add the onions/garlic.
- Add the panade to the meat and use your hands to mix until just combined. Don’t overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.
- Add 3/4 of the marinara sauce to a 9×13 casserole dish. Roll meat into 24 balls 1+1/2 inches thick.
- Add the meatballs to the dish and spoon remaining marinara sauce on top. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cover and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 more minutes.
- Broil at 450° for 1-2 minutes at the end if desired. Use a paper towel to carefully dab off any excess grease on the top. Top with parsley and serve.
Baking Sheet Method
- To bake these on a baking sheet without sauce: 1.5 inch meatballs take approximately 30-35 minutes to bake at 350°, the internal temperature needs to reach 160°.
- I use this instant read thermometer (Amazon Affiliate link), it is a life saver in the kitchen.
Make Ahead Method
- These meatballs can be rolled and stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours prior to baking.
- You can also flash freeze the raw meatballs on a baking sheet for 1.5 hours, then store them in a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them defrost in the fridge overnight prior to baking.
- PRO TIP: I like to bake this entire dish of meatballs, let them cool, and freeze them in portions of 4+ to serve with spaghetti during a busy week. I just drop the frozen meatballs right into a pot of marinara sauce and let them defrost over low heat.
Crock Pot Method
- Roll the meatballs and place them in a lightly greased Slow Cooker. Top with marinara sauce and. Heat on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7. Top with cheese and cover until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools for This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 9 x 13 Baking Dish– This is the one that I use and that’s pictured in this post.
- Large Glass Mixing Bowl
- Silicone Spatulas– I can’t live without these!
- Cookie Scoop– Easy for making similarly-sized meatballs
- Instant Read Thermometer– To make sure the meatballs are done in the middle.
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Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated from a block
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 lbs. ground beef
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
Sauce + Cheese
- 32 oz marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Set aside and let cool.
- Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Crack an egg in a small bowl and whisk it. Add the milk and whisk to combine.
- Combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture to form a smooth paste. Mix in the onions and garlic. (This is called a panade and keeps the juiciness and flavor intact while the meatballs cook.)
- Add the meat to a large bowl and top with the panade. Use your hands and gently mix until just combined. Don’t overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.
- Roll into 1 ½ inch meatballs.
- Pour ¾ of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Add the meatballs. Spoon remaining sauce over the top.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and top with cheese. Bake 15 more minutes. Broil for additional 1-2 minutes at the end if desired. Use a paper towel to carefully dab off any excess grease on the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- To save time, you can skip sautéing the onions and garlic. Doing so creates a more subtle texture and flavor, particularly for picky eaters.
- Ground sausage and/or ground veal may also be used.
- The internal temperature of meatballs should be 160 degrees before serving.
- Be sure to serve this with a side of my garlic bread with cheese or my incredible No Knead Bread!
- This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 77!
- Try my recipe for Turkey Meatballs next!
Hi there 🙂 was wondering if you could cook these directly in the sauce ? And if so for how long ? Thank you.
Hey Val! Do you mean on the stovetop (instead of baking)? I would probably do 45 minutes or so over medium heat, just be sure to check the middle of one to make sure it’s done before you serve it. Enjoy!
These meatballs were delicious!! Used your marinara recipe for my sauce as well and it all turned out great……..the family all loved it. Thanks for another great recipe!
I am soooo happy to hear that Gail, especially because you used my marinara sauce too!! WOOOO!! Thank you so so much for taking the time to leave this review, I really appreciate it! 🙂 -Stephanie
Is it possible to freeze these with the sauce and cheese in a casserole dish? For Christmas, we gift frozen meals but don’t want to give an incomplete recipe/
Hey there! You can absolutely freeze this entire thing in a casserole dish! I do recommend letting it thaw completely prior to baking so just offer that instruction to your friends!
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Yes! If you tap the number of servings (at the top of the recipe card), you can slide the lever left to decrease the number of servings and the ingredients will automatically update. You’ll keep the baking time the same!
Awesome!! While family loved this – even toddlers!
Thanks Sandy! I’m happy everyone liked the meatballs, especially the little ones!😀
I would like to makes these for supper but don’t want to have pasta with them. What other dishes would you recommend to have with them to round out a meal?
I like to serve this with a side of my Cheesy Garlic Bread and a side salad. Or alongside fresh bread/rolls for meatball subs!
If my husband sees chunks of onion, he picks them out! This recipe looks great but my question to you is would it be doable to use an immersion blender to kind of get rid of the chunks but keep the flavor, or might it make it too watery?
Hi Debbie! My husband is very picky about onions too, (I cut mine SUPER small and saute them to create a more subtle taste and texture!)- But in your case, you could always use 3/4 Tablespoon of onion powder instead!
Thank you for sharing! They look delicious. Definitely going to try them soon.
Thanks so much Sue!😃 They are super tender and juicy. I always keep a healthy supply in my freezer cause you never know when the cravings gonna kick in!
Simple and delicious…can’t believe how tasty and tender these are! My family loved them. This recipe is definitely a keeper🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️
WOOOOOO!!! Kecia you made my day! I’m so happy you loved them! Thank you so much fir the review!!! 😍❤️
These meatballs literally melted in my mouth. They were so DELICIOUS and easy to make. I never knew about panade but I definitely feel like it made the difference in this recipe!
Hi Kennedy! So glad you liked them! I agree, they definitely melt in your mouth. I’m going to whip a bunch up this weekend for a little football party!😀