Cheesy Meatballs
These cheesy meatballs are easy to make and cook up in one pan! First, you brown them and then simmer them in sauce with melty cheese on top. They’re easy to prep with a few shortcuts for an easy dinner. Serve them with pasta, rice, or pile them in soft rolls for the best meatball sandwiches.
Table of contents
If you love meatballs, especially ones simmered in sauce and topped with lots of melty cheese, you will love this cheesy meatballs recipe. It’s easy (not a lot of chopping or fuss!), you only need one pan (yippee!), and you can serve them a few different ways for a cozy, comforting dinner.
It’s also versatile! Use this recipe to make beef meatballs, pork, chicken, or turkey meatballs. It’s so simple – I think you’re gonna love it.
Ingredients
- Breadcrumbs – Use the dried breadcrumbs in the pantry for this recipe. I use plain breadcrumbs, but you can amp up the flavor even more and use Italian seasoned ones.
- Grated parmesan cheese – I like grated Parm for meatballs because it melts into the meat, adding tons of flavor.
- Chopped parsley and basil leaves – I like a mix of fresh parsley and basil, but you can use one kind of fresh herb if that’s what you have on hand.
- Dried oregano – Or use the same amount of Italian seasoning.
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Minced garlic
- Large egg
- Ground beef – I like 85 to 90% lean ground beef, or you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork. It’s an easy way to switch up this recipe.
- Olive oil
- Marinara sauce – Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce. I love Rao’s marinara sauce.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – Low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese works best. You can shred it yourself or use pre-shredded cheese.
How to Make The Meatballs
Place the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, fresh herbs, seasonings, garlic, and egg in a large bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the ground beef and mix just until combined.
Scoop about two tablespoons of the meat mixture for each meatball. Lightly roll them in your hands to form a ball. Don’t compress them too much – otherwise, your meatballs will be dense.
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in the hot oil, and turn them every so often until they’re browned.
Pour the sauce into the pan, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top, and lower the heat to medium-low.
Place a lid on top and simmer the meatballs for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling hot. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley for serving.
Different Ways to Serve Them
Pasta: Boil your favorite pasta while the meatballs simmer, and serve the cheesy meatballs over the top. My favorite is spaghetti with lots of extra Parmesan cheese to go on top. Bonus points if you add some garlic toast on the side.
Rice: Or, spoon the meatballs with the sauce and cheese over cooked rice. Add a cooked veggie (like steamed broccoli or green beans) on the side.
Sandwiches: Get some soft rolls and pile the meatballs, sauce, and cheese in them for the best meatball subs or meatball sliders.
Recipe Tips
- You can make the meatballs up to a day ahead, store them in an airtight container, and cook them with the sauce later.
- Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to make scooping easier.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
I hope these cheesy meatballs will be on your dinner menu soon – it’s such an easy recipe!
Happy cooking,
More Meatball Recipes
📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe, along with your recipe star rating.
Cheesy Meatballs
Sauce, cheesy meatballs made with simple ingredients. This is such an easy meatball recipe you can serve with pasta, rice, or make meatball subs. Plus, you only need one pan to make them!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 meatballs 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Brown and Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground beef (90% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs, seasonings, garlic, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the ground meat and mix until just combined.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture to form each meatball.
- Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the meatballs in the hot pan and cook them, turning them often, until they are browned.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top. Adjust the heat to medium-low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the meatballs for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly hot and the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley and basil, if using.
Notes
Meat: You can use your favorite ground meat for this recipe. So, try switching it up with ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
Sauce: Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce to make it really simple. I love Rao’s Homemade marinara sauce.
Leftovers: Store the leftover meatballs, sauce, and cheese in an airtight container. They will keep well for three days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Calories: 531
- Sugar: 9.2g
- Sodium: 1451.9mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 12.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.7g
- Carbohydrates: 21.7g
- Fiber: 3.6g
- Protein: 39.6g
- Cholesterol: 164mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.