Description
These cozy baked meatballs make for such a delicious dinner. Serve them on spaghetti noodles or veggie noodles, or try them on toasted buns for meatball subs!
Ingredients
Scale
For The Meatballs:
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef*
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely minced or grated onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs or 1/2 cup finely torn gluten-free bread
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, not pre-shredded)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
To Serve:
- 32–48 oz. marinara sauce (1 1/2–2 jars marinara sauce)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- parsley or basil, for garnish
- Optional: gluten-free spaghetti, gluten-free buns, or spaghetti squash
Instructions
- Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F. Set out a 9×13 baking dish. (I prefer a ceramic or glass 9×13 casserole dish)
- Saute Onion & Garlic. In a small saucepan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat 4-5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Set mixture aside to cool.
- Make The Panade. In a medium bowl, combine egg and milk. Whisk to combine till smooth, then add gluten-free breadcrumbs (or bread), parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the cooled onion mixture and stir to combine. Let this mixture sit for 3-5 minutes to absorb some of the milk. (This mixture will look a bit soggy and wet. This is ok!)
- Loosen Up The Meat & Add Panade. In a large mixing bowl, loosen up the ground meat a little bit with a fork, if needed. Try to work the meat as little as possible to avoid tough meatballs. Then, add the panade mixture and gently mix with a fork (or your hands!) just to combine. Again, try to only mix gently and as little as you can just until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Scoop and Roll Meatballs. Pour about 3/4 of the marinara sauce into the prepared pan (9×13 pan). Use a medium cookie scoop to measure 1 1/2 inch meatballs from the meatball mixture and gently roll them smooth between your palms. Tuck the meatballs into the marinara sauce in the pan, then cover the tops of the meatballs with the remaining 1/4 of the sauce.
- Cover & Bake 30 Minutes. Then, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Uncover & Finish Baking. After 3o minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the meatballs. Place the pan back into the oven (uncovered) and bake an additional 12-15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling, the cheese is melted and the meatballs are cooked through. (The interior of the meatballs should reach 165 degrees F.) If desired, you can broil the meatballs 1-2 minutes for a little more color on top.
- Serve & Store. If needed, spoon or dab off any excess grease, then top meatballs with fresh basil or parsley. Serve with gluten-free spaghetti, on toasted gluten-free buns or baguettes, with spaghetti squash, and more! Store leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.
Notes
- Ground Meat. I’m using 90% lean ground beef here, but for richer, restaurant-style meatballs you can use 1 pound ground beef + 1/2 pound ground pork. Or, you can use 1 pound ground beef + 1/2 pound Italian sausage.
More Ways To Cook:
- Sheet Pan: Make and form the meatballs as directed, but instead of baking them in a 9×13 dish with marinara, place the meatballs on a lightly greased sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- Air Fryer. Preheat air fryer to 380 degrees F. Work in batches, cooking meatballs (without sauce!) in a single layer (ideally so they’re not crowded in tight!) and cook 8-10 minutes per batch, or until internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees F. (If cooking frozen meatballs, cook for 10-12 minutes.)
- Slow Cooker. Add meatballs and sauce to a slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours. Add the cheese 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Stove Top. Add meatballs to a Dutch oven or large pot with sauce on the stove and simmer until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F. (If you want, you can brown them in olive oil before adding the sauce for more color.)
Freezer Tips:
- FLASH FREEZE UNCOOKED MEATBALLS. Place raw meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 1 1/2 hours until they’re no longer tacky, then transfer them to a freezer bag and store up to 2 months.
- FREEZE COOKED MEATBALLS. Cook meatballs without sauce, then freeze cooked, cooled meatballs up to 2 months. (You can add them frozen right to a pot of sauce to thaw while they simmer!)
- MAKE THIS A FREEZER MEAL. Freeze uncooked meatballs in sauce in a large freezer bag. Thaw in the fridge, then bake as directed or add to a slow cooker for easy prep another day.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American