Meatball Sub Casserole

This epic heart meatball sub casserole will definitely be one of your new favorite dinner recipes! It’s a simple meatball sub casserole meal that’s quick to prepare and uses ingredients you’re likely to find in your pantry or refrigerator. It’s also kid-tested and approved.

This classic easy meatball sub casserole for beginners is filled with delicious Italian meatballs, bites of bread, and lots of cheese. This best meatball sub casserole recipe is sure to be a hit with your family!

If your family loves meat and cheese, save this recipe immediately! I promise, you’ll want to keep this in your rotation for its simplicity and major flavor alone. If you love the smell of Italian food cooking in your kitchen, and you can’t get enough of cheesy meatballs, don’t pass this one up.

Be careful, as it will be difficult for you to store leftovers with this quick meatball sub casserole recipe. I rarely have leftovers whenever I cook this in my home. However, this recipe can be saved and stored if you want to eat it later on in the week.

Scroll to bottom for printable recipe card.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe is beyond appetizing. It’s a crowd-pleaser and completely family friendly.
• This meatball casserole only requires basic ingredients that you’re sure to find in your pantry at home.
• You can swap ingredients and seasonings to make this a healthy meatball sub casserole version or if you have picky eaters in the house.
• With 20 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of cooking, you’ll have the best meatball casserole you’ve ever tasted in just over an hour.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45-50 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients:

⅓ C. Green onion chopped

⅓ C. Bread crumbs

1 ½ lb. Ground beef

½ C. Mayonnaise

3 Hoagie roll buns

¼ C. Parmesan cheese

2 C. Mozzarella cheese shredded

1 Jar Spaghetti sauce

2 tsp. Minced garlic

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

⅔ C. Water

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Chopped green onion: Omit the chopped green onion if you have picky eaters at home. You can also add the chopped green onion later onto individual servings rather than applying it to the entire casserole.

Hoagie roll buns: Swap the Hoagie roll buns for your favorite buns. You can also try making our homemade Amish sweet bread or Mexican sweet bread as an alternative. If you love brown bread from restaurants, try our Cheesecake Factory brown bread for a truly homemade sub casserole.

Parmesan and mozzarella cheese: Use freshly grated cheese whenever possible. This will ensure a proper melted texture.

Minced garlic: You can swap freshly minced garlic for garlic paste. If you’re not a fan of garlic’s texture, try garlic powder, instead.

Spaghetti sauce: Choose a spaghetti sauce that you and your family love. From traditional marinara and meat sauce to Italian herbs sauce, there are plenty of options at local supermarkets and grocery stores.

Ground beef: If you’re looking for a healthy meatball sub casserole version, swap the ground beef for ground turkey. You can also opt for 90/10 beef for a healthier version of this casserole.

How to Make It

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. During this time, you can prepare the remaining ingredients.

Step 2. Add the ground beef to a mixing bowl, and add the green onions, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Combine this mixture fully. We recommend wearing kitchen or cooking gloves to avoid getting your hands greasy during the mixing process!

Step 3. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re cooked through.

Step 4. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

Step 5. Layer the bread you’re using in the bottom of a well-greased 9×13 baking dish.

Step 6. Mix the mayo, cream cheese, and Italian seasoning together in a bowl and spread over the bread.

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Step 7. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of the bread.

Step 8. Add the water, spaghetti sauce, garlic, and meatballs to a large mixing bowl to combine.

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Step 10. Pour the meatball mixture over the bread in the baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.

Step 11. Bake for 30 minutes and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Now, remember to save this recipe on Pinterest for later 🙂

Tips for Success

For additional homemade meatball sub casserole ideas, use these tips:

Choose bread that’s sturdy and one that will not become soggy. Use buns or homemade rolls over traditional white bread.

Use a spaghetti sauce that’s hearty and packs plenty of flavor. Trying different spaghetti and meat sauces will help you make any casserole dish your own.

Storage & Reheating

Thankfully, this recipe can be stored and saved, making it budget-friendly and delicious when you’re in a rush! To store, place individual servings of the meatballs into an airtight Tupperware (or another brand) container. Store in your refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

It’s not recommended to freeze this recipe, as the bread may become soggy upon thawing.

You can reheat refrigerated servings of this casserole by allowing them to sit on your counter and come close to room temperature. We recommend baking your casserole in the oven at 300 degrees (Fahrenheit) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warm.

If you choose to microwave your casserole, do so for 2 to 3 minutes, per serving. Keep in mind that microwaving this sub casserole may cause your bread to taste a bit chewier. Avoid overcooking this dish in the microwave to prevent the bread from tasting too soggy.

Serving Suggestions

For a classic side, try our Cheesecake Factory brown bread with butter whenever you’re serving this meatball sub casserole for dinner! We also recommend healthy green or Italian salads, as this dish is extremely hearty, savory, and filling on its own. You can try a new salad, such as a cucumber and tomato salad or even a watercress salad, if you’re feeling creative.

Notes

This recipe is perfect for picky eaters, kids, and big eaters! It not only packs in plenty of flavor, but it’s extremely hearty, savory, and oh-so-filling. You’ll love this dish if you’re a fan of traditional spaghetti and Italian foods at home!

Meatball Sub Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

4.31 from 13 votes

Review Recipe

Ingredients 

• ⅓ C. Green onion chopped
• ⅓ C. Bread crumbs
• 1 ½ lb. Ground beef
• ½ C. Mayonnaise
• 3 Hoagie Roll buns
• ¼ C. Parmesan cheese
• 2 C. Mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1 Jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 tsp. Minced garlic
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• ⅔ C. Water

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Add the meat to a mixing bowl, and add the green onions, bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
• Form the meat mixture into 1 inch meatballs, and bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
• Reduce the heat to 350 degrees.
• Layer the bread in the bottom of a well greased 9x13 baking dish.
• Mix together the mayo, cream cheese and Italian seasoning in a bowl and spread over the bread.
• Sprinkle half of the cheese on top.
• Add the water, spaghetti sauce, garlic and meatballs to a large mixing bowl to combine.
• Pour the meatball mixture over the bread in the baking dish and top with the remaining Mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes and let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 763kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 991mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

Author: Laura