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Making my easy Italian Meatball Casserole recipe is so incredibly simple. And of course, with many of my recipes, it can be a make-ahead dinner recipe.
Simply mix a few ingredients together, form mixture into balls, brown in a cast-iron skillet, add homemade spaghetti sauce, cheese and enjoy!
Ingredients are so simple, you most likely have all you need in the pantry and can make them for dinner tonight. You and your family will love them!
It sounds just a bit strange to hear a “homesteader” talk about Keto, but we are full on. We’ve been eating this way for years and Keto has just recently seemed to take front seat on the “diet” craze. Just eating real food, no preservatives or additives is all that we know.
Easy Italian Meatball Casserole Recipe
My easy Italian Meatball Casserole recipe is completely healthy. Low-carb, gluten free made with authentic grass fed beef and real authentic homemade spaghetti sauce.
If you don’t have “grass-fed beef, no problem, you can use an 80/20 blend from the grocery store too. Just use a good cut of ground beef.
These Italian Meatballs are full of Italian flavor with just a bit of coconut flour to hold them together. They are an ultimate comfort food to keep on hand and have anytime.
How To Make Italian Meatballs
To make these delicious Italian Meatballs, you’ll need just a few ingredients:
- Coconut Oil, unrefined
- Ground Beef
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Coconut Flour
- Eggs
- Salt
- Minced Onion
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic Powder
- Black Pepper
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Basil
Place all ingredients, EXCEPT 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese, spaghetti sauce, and basil, into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands, mix ingredients until well blended. Then with a cookie scoop, dip mixture and form into a ball.
How To Cook Italian Meatballs
In a large cast iron skillet, I use this Lodge 12 inch, melt pure unrefined coconut oil and cover bottom of skillet with 1/2 inch oil on low-medium heat.
TIP: I also add 2 tablespoons of my rendered bacon grease to give them even more flavor. Give it a try!
Not too hot, you’ll want them to cook slowly until no longer pink in the middle without burning the outside.
Gently place individual meatballs in coconut oil and allow them to cook all the way through. Turning on occasion until brown and crispy on all sides.
I find that I am able to turn them easily using a good set of tongs , without silicone grips to grasp the meatball gently.
How To Bake Italian Meatball Casserole
As each Italian meatballs, is cooked and no longer pink inside, remove it from the cast iron skillet and place into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Once all are cooked and in casserole dish, smother with homemade spaghetti sauce , basil and remaining 2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese.
Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Meatballs will come out with a zesty Italian flavor your family will love.
Can Italian Meatballs Be Frozen?
Yes, this awesome Italian Meatball Casserole recipe can be made ahead and frozen.
Most every dish I make, I do in large quantities and place in the freezer to have on hand for a quick week night dinner meal. And my Easy Italian Meatball Casserole Recipe is no exception.
Freezing this tasty dish can be done a couple different ways.
Freezer Method #1
Once meatballs are fully cooked. Instead of putting them into a casserole dish, place them individually, not touching, on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place in freezer for 2-3 hours or until thoroughly frozen. Remove and store into Ziploc freezer bags or use a Food Saver sealer to last even longer.
Label and put back into the freezer until needed.
When you need them for dinner, remove from freezer, place in casserole dish, add homemade spaghetti sauce, cheese and bake!
Freezer Method #2:
Or another way is once they are fully cooked in the oven. Remove and place serving sizes into freezer safe containers. I use these Rubbermaid containers for freezing.
- Line each bowl with freezer paper or wax paper whatever you have on hand – don’t use plastic wrap.
- Fill container with a full serving, fold paper edges over the top and place lid on container and label.
- Store in the freezer until you are ready to eat.
- Or, once frozen, remove from container and put into a Ziploc bag or Food Saver bag.
- Label and place back into the freezer until needed.
I always use the second method. Since we have a busy schedule, it’s easy for us to reach into the freezer, grab a bag, and pop it into the microwave and have ready to eat meal on the fly.
And, since I don’t keep a lot freezer containers on hand, they take up too much space, I put servings into Food Saver bags after they are frozen.
There you have it! My Italian Meatball Recipe is simple and easy to make and serve immediately for dinner or freeze for later. Perfect!
Are you excited about this recipe? Will you be serving Easy Italian Meatball Casserole to your family for dinner? Please let me know in the comments below.
More Delicious Recipes:
- Pan-Fried Cube Steak Recipe
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet Recipe
- Kielbasa with Peppers & Onions Recipe
- Quick and Easy Chicken Pot Pie
- Stuffed Bacon Cheeseburger Recipe (Low Carb)
- 21 Delicious Recipes using Sauerkraut
- Pizza Casserole Recipe (Low Carb – Keto)
- Chicken Parmesan Pizza
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- Cabbage Beef Soup
Best Ever Italian Meatball Casserole (Low-Carb/Keto Friendly)
Juicy and delicious Italian Meatballs that are low-carb and healthy. Even better, they taste wonderful.
Ingredients
- 1 cup - Coconut Oil, unrefined
- 2 lbs - Ground Beef
- 1 cup - Parmesan Cheese, shredded
- 3 cups - Mozzarella Cheese, shredded and divided
- 3 Tbl - Coconut Flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp - Himalayan Salt
- 1 tsp - Minced Onion
- 1 tsp - Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp - Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp - Black Pepper
- 48 oz - Spaghetti Sauce (1 qt)
- 2 tsp - Basil
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients EXCEPT - 2 cups of Mozzarella Cheese, spaghetti sauce and basil. Using hands, mix well
- In a large 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt coconut oil until bottom is covered by 1/2 oil - not too hot. (low-medium temperature)
- Once oil is hot, scoop out mixture, with a cookie scoop, and form into balls
- Gently place each meatball ball into hot oil
- One meatballs are brown, and no longer pink inside, remove and place individually into a 9 x 13 casserole dish
- Smother with homemade spaghetti sauce and remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Basil
- Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes - ENJOY!
Notes
Prefer to make-ahead and freeze? Here's how....
Freezer Method #1
Once meatballs are fully cooked. Instead of putting them into a casserole dish, place them individually, not touching, on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Place in freezer for 2-3 hours or until thoroughly frozen. Remove and store into Ziploc freezer bags or use a Food Saver sealer to last even longer.
Label and put back into the freezer until needed.
When you need them for dinner, remove from freezer, place in casserole dish, add homemade spaghetti sauce, cheese and bake!
Freezer Method #2:
Or another way is once they are fully cooked in the oven. Remove and place serving sizes into freezer safe containers. I use these containers for freezing.
- Line each bowl with freezer paper or wax paper whatever you have on hand - don't use plastic wrap.
- Fill container with a full serving, fold paper edges over the top and place lid on container and label.
- Store in the freezer until you are ready to eat.
- Or, once frozen, remove from container and put into a Ziploc bag or Food Saver bag.
- Label and place back into the freezer until needed.
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Dianne Hadorn is the owner of Hidden Springs Homestead nestled in the hills of East Tennessee. She is a Master Gardener and enjoys helping others learn how to grow and preserve their own food and sharing tips for living a more sustainable life.
This recipe looks great! Wondering if you have any suggestions for replacing the coconut flour with another GF variety. Coconut is not really my thing. Thanks!
Hi Kelley,
It is a delicious recipe. And yes, you could replace the coconut flour with cassava flour (affiliate link). This is a gluten, grain and nut free. It comes from the cassava root. It’s texture is much like regular baking flour and it has no taste. I use it often to make breads and such. We are a grain free family and this is perfect for baking breads and such too.
I’m going to have to add this into the meal plan rotations. Thanks for sharing!
Tamara, I’m so glad! You’ll love them I promise.
Looks delicious!
Thank you !