Looking for a delicious oven-baked dinner meal? This Turkey Meatball Casserole is loaded with cheese, pasta, and flavor. You can prepare it ahead of time and put it in the oven when you are ready to eat.
Recipe updated February 11, 2020.
As an adult, there are so many things I love about the soon to be spring season! Daffodils, baby chicks, and colorful pastel eggs; the list goes on! I also love that I can still enjoy comforting oven-baked meals like this Cheesy Turkey Meatball Casserole.
You could enjoy this meal and a Sunday family dinner, or maybe even for Easter? We all know that holidays can be stressful so this year I want to make a meal that can be made the night before.
Turkey Meatball Casserole
Our meal took about 15 minutes to prepare, and 30 minutes to bake! It was so good, and even had my picky eaters requesting seconds! “Score” for me! I am so thankful my entire family enjoyed this Cheesy Turkey Meatball Casserole because it has become a go-to comfort meal when certain ingredients go on sale.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey meat
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup of yellow mustard
- salt, pepper, and Italian spice for taste
- 1 pound of mini pasta shells
- 16 oz. container of ricotta cheese
- 16 oz. container of cottage cheese
- 2 cups Italian cheese blend
- 1 large jar of your favorite pasta sauce or marinara
How to Make Turkey Meatball Casserole
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and boil pasta until al dente.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl add your turkey meat, ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, and egg.
Mix thoroughly and form turkey meat into a larger sized meatballs. Mine are about 2 tablespoons large. My recipe made 28 large meatballs.
Add baking sheet to the oven and bake for 22 minutes.
Once pasta is done, drain, and add it to a large mixing bowl with your cottage, and ricotta cheese, spices, and mix thoroughly.
Add mixture to a large 9 x 13 casserole dish. Featured is a standard Pyrex, but they have a larger, deeper size now that would work fantastic.
Spread 3/4 of the pasta sauce over the top of the cheese.
Line your meatballs on the top layer, drizzle on remaining sauce
Sprinkle 1 cup of Italian blend cheese over the top of the lightly sauced meatballs.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Our Cheesy Turkey Meatball Casserole not only looked great, but it also tastes amazing! It is the perfect make ahead Easter meal idea!
Bread Crumbs Substitute
If you do not have Italian bread crumbs in your pantry, that is okay! Here are two of my favorite bread crumbs substitutes that work well in this recipe.
Finely ground sleeve of Ritz crackers. Mix crackers with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp salt.
4 slices of stale sandwich bread (or hamburger/hotdog buns). Ground up in a food processor and add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp of salt to it.
How to Make Italian Spice Blend
Don’t have Italian spice blend in your pantry? That is okay! This is my favorite blend I use in my Italian dishes. It also tastes super yummy on pizza. You can store it in a plastic bag, or airtight jar.
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Can I use Regular Meatballs?
You can most certainly use regular meatballs in this recipe too! My favorite traditional beef meatballs recipe is this one. It would taste so good on this casserole!
How to Freeze
Prepare casserole according to directions. Freeze before baking for the last 30 minutes. This will last for 30 days in a deep freeze. To bake, cook for 55 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Test the center of the dish to make sure it is properly cooked and not cool.
Turkey Meatball Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Pyrex
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. Ground Turkey
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp. Italian Spice
- 1 lb. mini pasta shells
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces cottage cheese
- 2 cups Italian Cheese blend
- 32 ounces marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and boil pasta until al dente.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl add your turkey meat, 1 cup of cheese, ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, and egg.
- Mix thoroughly and form turkey meat into a larger sized meatballs. Mine are about 2 tablespoons large. My recipe made 28 large meatballs.
- Add baking sheet to the oven and bake for 22 minutes.
- Once pasta is done, drain, and add it to a large mixing bowl with your cottage, and ricotta cheese, spices, and mix thoroughly.
- Add mixture to a large 9 x 13 casserole dish. Featured is a standard Pyrex, but they have a larger, deeper size now that would work fantastic.
- Spread 3/4 of the pasta sauce over the top of the cheese.
- Line your meatballs on the top layer, drizzle on remaining sauce.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of Italian blend cheese over the top of the lightly sauced meatballs.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Bread Crumbs Substitute
If you do not have Italian bread crumbs in your pantry, that is okay! Here are two of my favorite bread crumbs substitutes that work well in this recipe. Finely ground sleeve of Ritz crackers. Mix crackers with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp salt. 4 slices of stale sandwich bread (or hamburger/hot dog buns). Ground up in a food processor and add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp of salt to it.How to Make Italian Spice Blend
Don’t have Italian spice blend in your pantry? That is okay! This is my favorite blend I use in my Italian dishes. It also tastes super yummy on pizza. You can store it in a plastic bag, or airtight jar.- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
I am ALL FOR anything that I can make ahead! And coming from an Italian family, this recipe is perfect for us.
I love this recipe! It looks so easy and convenient to prepare. It’s a good size too so that my family can enjoy leftovers!
Another recipe I shouldn’t look at on an empty stomach. Curse you!
that is a GORGEOUS casserole, lady!! YUM!
Oooohhh yum. We love meatballs! This looks delicious!
this is so unique and different, I would love to make this ahead of time, and have this for a quick re heat meal for my family.
My kids love anything with meatballs and cheese. They go so well together.
Cheese goes well with almost anything, doesn’t it? Yum.
yummy, those look great, I add cheese to my meatballs also, makes a difference in the taste!
I just got a coupon for these and was wanting to check them out. After reading this, I definitely will.
the name is a mouthful and the meal looks amazingly delicious. Seems very easy to make too!
Mmmmm…. This looks yummy! I love meatballs. I bet this is amazing.
Looks delicious and I can totally go for meatballs anytime!
Making a main course entree the night before really does make things wonderfully easy. I can see how this recipe is a huge hit too, it looks delicious.
I have been wanting to try one of these meal kits from Kraft. I love what you came up with, and I love the make ahead idea for Easter!
This looks yummy and my family would love it one question when you mix up the meatballs do you add both cheese and bread crumbs.
I so love using Fresh Take in this kind of way. Your recipe looks outstanding!
This looks really yummy! I love cooking with Turkey and those Fresh Takes are great!
Yes! Love this so much. My hubby loves meatballs, and I would like to covert him to a turkey-meatball lover.
I love make ahead meals! This recipe looks so delicious!
My mouth is watering. I love ground turkey but never thought to do this. Love it!
I’m drooling a little. That looks fantastic!
Being able to make a meal ahead of time is such a time saver. I like that you used turkey instead of beef for the meatballs too.
This looks so tasty! I bet my family would love this for a Sunday dinner.
Oh my goodness, this looks absolutely delicious! I love the ingredients you added to the turkey meatballs…. what a great idea! They look so moist and full of flavor!
What a great idea. I have a breakfast casserole that I make in advance. It is delicious!!
YUMM.. love make ahead meals.. this looks delicious and something my family would love; thanks for a great recipe. We love Kraft Fresh Take in our home…
That’s so easy! And I think much better than the usual crock pot meatballs.
that sounds like such an easy and healthy meal! I love the idea of a make ahead casserole for easter. It gets a little crazy on the actual day…so very nice to have some of the food prepped ahead.
I would love to try this out, their Fresh Takes are really good for creating meals like this one. However Easter dinner has to be ham at our house and I love being in the kitchen on that day and all the auroras – my favorite part of the holidays.
That sounds so good right now! I’m hungry again, yum!
This sounds delicious. My kids love meatballs.
Sounds really yummy! I’m always looking for new ways to use meatballs in recipes, other than just the ‘usual suspects’, so to speak.
when i was younger we just got a chocolate easter egg, we never did anything else or decorated. but with my kids i like to make a easter egg hunt.
That dish looks really good. i’m with you on trying to prepare and then winding up not ready at all. It seems to be a common theme in my life too.
That looks absolutely amazing! I like that you used turkey for the meatballs too. I’m always looking for ways to eat leaner meats.
This sounds REALLY good. It looks yum too.
That’s a great make-ahead recipe that I really should try, My kids love anything with cheese and meatballs!
Oh this looks amazing! I’m going back to work soon and this sounds like it would be a perfect meal to give to the family on those busy days!! Will have to give this recipe a try!!
I love that this recipe calls for ground turkey because I cannot eat beef. Plus, turkey is so healthy. This casserole looks absolutely delicious!
I love Fresh Take, but I never would have thought to use it in spaghetti! # =Client
I’m so going to make this on Sunday! I can’t wait until Easter, I want to try it right away!
This looks so yummy. I am definitely pinning this because I plan to make this for my family real soon.
Now those looks totally yummmy!!!
The recipe calls for 2 cups of cheese but nowhere does it provide directions for the second cup. Looking back through this the picture shows 1 of the cups going into the meatballs. Please correct this. It definitely would have made a difference in the texture of the meatball.
Hello, I fixed it. The recipe calls for one cup in the meatball mixture, and 1 cup to finish off the top before baking. Thank you, for stopping by.