Meatball and Sausage Casserole Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Gillian

When making the balls, I found them very moist so: Instead of adding broth, I added about 1 tsp chicken powder out of a bouillon envelope. Also added some panko to the fresh crumbs. When done, was right consistency. Leave out rosemary next time and go easy on the nutmeg. A good do-ahead or gift.

Sacha

This is the best. I make it in the instant pot! Sauté the onions, garlic, green pepper. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, rosemary, bay leaf. Drop the meatballs in, cut up the sausage and add. High pressure for five minutes, let it sit for ten then release. I serve with some pasta. It’s tasty! Big hit with my fam.

Jim

Came up short on crushed tomatoes so we used one 14.8 oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes and one 14.8 oz can of tomato sauce. The rosemary was a pleasant change from the usual oregano and thyme. Instead of pasta we brushed thick slices of homemade sourdough bread with olive oil and grated garlic and broiled it until crispy around the edges. Great dinner for a cold night!

Lynn in New Jersey

This was great! I used beef for the meatballs and Trader Joe's sweet Italian chicken sausage (only 12 ounces). Sliced the sausage instead of cooking it whole. I served it on pasta. Delicious!

marmelade

When I went to the store for ingredients for this dish I was cooking for 8. By the home I got home it was 15. I made the meatballs smaller and sliced the sausage. Added extra tomatoes and a lot of penne. Delicious. Definite crowd pleaser.

Petra

Liked it a lot! I used ground turkey in the meatballs and left out the stock to give the meatballs more stability (turkey tends to be pretty moist anyway). Used 28oz can crushed tomatoes. As others suggested, cut up the sausage before cooking. Hearty and delicious.

lapheeluv

I doubled the recipe, and it worked out great. I browned the meatballs in two rounds. The first batch of meatballs were rather charred because I had the heat too high, and they ended up looking like falafel. Those meatballs turned out fine though because the long simmer time ensured that they ended up being moist. I chose both a red and green bell pepper, and put portobello mushrooms in. Based on another's suggestion, I used loose sausage. This recipe is forgiving and crowd-pleasing.

Arlene

Red wine is ok. Take sausage out of casing

Joe S.

Added an extra bell pepper, extra mushrooms, extra onion, extra garlic, extra meatballs, then it was perfect!

Sam

Fast & easy to throw together. Used frozen meatballs to cut down on prep time. Popped the meatballs in the oven while cooking everything else. My package of sausage came with 5 so used em all. My can of crushed tomato had more than 2 cups, I will use the full can next time and double the veggies (they were lacking). Also added a sprig of thyme to simmer with bay leaf in sauce. Served with rice and it was perfect. Fantastic as leftovers the next day.

Jude

Not bad, but pretty basic and a bit bland, both the meatballs (beef & pork) and the sauce. I doubled the garlic for the meatballs but it still wasn't enough. I would also add some Worcestershire for umami next time. The rosemary added a nice flavor to the sauce, different from the usual oregano. Again, I'd add Worcestershire and maybe 3-4 crushed canned anchovies to add depth to the flavor. Like in another cooking note, I took the pork out of the casing.

Mary

I made this last night served over Arborio rice. Was delicious. The meatballs do fall apart (as noted). We didn’t care because it worked with the rice.

Penny B

Absolutely delicious! Made as written except no chicken broth as I did not have any. Used hamburger meat and hot sausage. The only change I would make is cutting the sausage in half or quarters for easier eating. I also might do meatballs in oven as they tended to stick in pan and some broke apart.

heather

This is the best. I make it in the instant pot! Sauté the onions, garlic, green pepper. Add crushed tomatoes, wine, rosemary, bay leaf. Drop the meatballs in, cut up the sausage and add. High pressure for five minutes, let it sit for ten then release. I serve with some pasta. It’s tasty! Big hit with my fam.

Clara!

This was easy to make and delicious! The changes all sound interesting, but the basic recipe was great. I served it with garlic bread.

Schnu

I cooked this exactly as perrecipe except for tomatoes. I didn’t have crushed so i drained and hand crushed some San Marzanos. The meatballs were great-that bit of cumin and nutmeg added a lot of flavor. I didnt feel like the sausage brought anything to the party but that could have been my sausage. Now what I would do differently next time-I’d carry over the cumin into the tomato sauce and add some beans, either great northern or chickpeas; maybe a handful of kale.

laurikay

Wow!!! This has gone from a one-time experiment to a family staple. The veal meatballs are amazing, but substitute Costco frozen Italian meatballs and this is a doable weeknight dinner. We use 28oz of San Marzanos whole tomatoes, hand crushed, and serve with crusty bread. My family compliments this meal every time I make it.

MSWIS

Pierre Franey always comes through. This is so good. Works with pasta or polenta.

sheila

Great recipe. Lots of flavor as written. Major crowd pleaser. Made a few changes mainly to fill more tummies. Doubled the tomatoes and added broth to give it more liquid as I left it to simmer for an hour. Lots of time for flavors to come through. Would make again but only when expect to spend a couple hours in the kitchen. One change would be to cook onions and peppers longer than called for. I had mine sautéing for a good 10-15 minutes to soften and caramelize.

judy

I have to disagree. It was boring. I did use shiitakes for the mushrooms and even fancy shrooms and homemade bread couldn’t save this dish.

Doris Mare

Made it in a wide deep enamel pot, it gave more room to move things around.Recipe was perfect.

Mintie

Use quality fresh sausage. Serve over pasta or egg noodles. Play around with herbs and other flavorings.

Chris Minneapolis

I followed the recipe just as it is and it came out great. Meatballs should be moist and just gathered together with little pressure.

Jill

This is an excellent meatball recipe. I add them to my homemade tomato soup. One of these days I'll make the whole recipe.

Sam

Fast & easy to throw together. Used frozen meatballs to cut down on prep time. Popped the meatballs in the oven while cooking everything else. My package of sausage came with 5 so used em all. My can of crushed tomato had more than 2 cups, I will use the full can next time and double the veggies (they were lacking). Also added a sprig of thyme to simmer with bay leaf in sauce. Served with rice and it was perfect. Fantastic as leftovers the next day.

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Meatball and Sausage Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make tight meatballs? ›

Massage your meat

Get your hands into your mixing bowl and combine the ingredients for your meatballs using your fingers. The heat from your hands will help release the proteins in the meat which will in turn help the mixture stick together when it cooks. Don't overmix, just a few minutes will do.

What's the difference between sausage and meatballs? ›

The foundamental difference is that sausages are originally intended to preserve the meat (which is usually only pork meat while meatball are of everything), meatball is intended for consumption, sausages are warped in a film usually made of intestine, meatball don't have anything similar.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

What is the secret to making tender meatballs? ›

Consider the other ingredients.

Just ground meat and seasonings will yield only mediocre results. Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk.

Can sausage meatballs be pink in the middle? ›

Because doneness and safety cannot be judged by color, it is very important to use a food thermometer when cooking ground beef. To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked.

Are meatballs better baked or fried? ›

Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.

Can sausage meatballs be a little pink? ›

The salt treatment in sausage can cause it to retain a pinker color for a given temperature than would normal ground meat. The fact that you used a trusted thermometer, and that the sausages were well in the safe zone (even conservatively 165 F is more than enough) indicates that the sausage was perfectly safe.

How do you make meatballs less firm? ›

add egg and make a panade (the breadcrumbs by themselves depending on the ratio will dry out the meatballs). also, use a higher % fat meat mixture. once you have the blend down, you can whip them in a mixer for a little air. works quite well.

Why do my meatballs break apart? ›

ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.

How do you make meatballs that aren't tough? ›

Add moisture.

Eggs and binders like breadcrumbs mixed with milk all help with keeping meatballs tender and moist, so don't skip any of these.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook? ›

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

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