Turkey Meatball Casserole

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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.

Prep Time22 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time52 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Meatball Casserole, Turkey Meatball Casserole, Turkey Meatballs

Servings: people

Calories: 669cal

Author: Amy

Cost: $10

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

Nutritional values are meant to be a guide and may vary.

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

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.

Nutrition