Meatball Sub Casserole
Meatball Sub Casserole is a super easy casserole dish that tastes like a meatball sub but in casserole form. So good and a family favorite!
A FAMILY-FRIENDLY DINNER RECIPE
Raise your hand if you love meatball subs? Now how would you like to take all those flavors you love about a meatball sub and turn it into a casserole? Well, here ya go folks. This was the best tasting casserole I have had in a while. Not only was it super easy to make but the flavors blended so well together. The whole family loved it!
This was so good! I was looking for a recipe to use some meatballs I had in the freezer. I did not toast the bread in advance. I wanted it to soak up the sauce. It was really good. That cream cheese mixture really made it creamy. So good!
– Paige
TIPS FOR MAKING MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE:
- Homemade meatballs can be used in this dish; however, you want them to be fully cooked before adding them to this dish. This is a family friendly meal and using the pre-made meatballs really makes this quick to make.
- I would definitely serve this with a salad. Perhaps a big, green salad full of veggies and maybe topped with my Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing And for dessert, how about some No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu?
- For a softer casserole, don’t toast the bread first. For a more firm casserole, toast the french bread slices first.
- For a twist, try using thawed garlic Texas toast rather than the Italian bread.
- Store any leftovers (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers, as long as it is properly wrapped, to protect against freezer burn, for up to 3 months.
- I haven’t tried freezing this meal before cooking. You might be able to do it but you’d have to definitely add onto baking time so you’ll have to play that by ear and check it periodically to make sure the middle is fully cooked.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- Italian bread – French bread can be used here. Basically you don’t want a bread that is too soft or it will get too soggy.
- cream cheese – it’s really important that your cream cheese be fully softened or it will end up with lumps in it when you try to mix it.
- mayonnaise – I know mayonnaise might seem weird in here but I need you to trust me on this. It adds additional creaminess and another layer of flavor that really makes this creamy filling taste so good!
- Italian seasoning – if you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can just combine a bit of dried basil and dried oregano.
- shredded mozzarella cheese – I just buy the pre-shredded mozzarella cheese but you can certainly shred yours by hand if you prefer.
- frozen meatballs – I go with the Italian style meatballs and they do need to be thawed. I usually just put the bag in my refrigerator the night before I make this. They actually thaw out pretty quickly so you can also leave them out on the counter for an hour or two as well.
- pasta sauce – I am a fan of Rao’s pasta sauces but I know they can be on the pricey side so use what you enjoy or can afford. It will still work great!
HOW TO MAKE MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE:
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Just fill in any gaps with smaller bits of bread. I did have a couple slices of bread leftover since my loaf of Italian bread was pretty wide. I used those extra slices to make some garlic bread to serve with this.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings.
Spread mixture over bread slices.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
Gently mix together spaghetti sauce and meatballs.
Spoon this mixture the over cheese layer.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. If you notice it is getting too brown, you can always cover the dish loosely with a bit of aluminum foil.
Allow to cool for a few minutes then slice and serve!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Meatball Sub Cups
- Meatball Sub on a Stick
- Texas Toast Meatball Subs
- Italian Sub Squares
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Bacon Wrapped Meatballs
- Crock Pot Honey Garlic Meatballs
- Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
- Homemade Meatballs
- Meatball Alfredo
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs
Originally published: May 2012
Updated photos & Republished: June 2023
Meatball Sub Casserole (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
- 1 bag frozen Italian style meatballs, thawed
- 24 ounce jar pasta sauce
- dried parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill in any gaps with pieces of bread.
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings. Spread mixture over bread slices.
- Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Gently mix together spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Spoon over cream cheese layer.
- Sprinkle the top evenly with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes. If you notice it is getting too brown, just loosely cover it with some aluminum foil.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my tips and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- For a firmer bread base, I recommend toasting the bread first. You can place the dish into the oven (on the broiler setting) and toast both sides. It should only take a minute or two.
- Note: frozen meatball packages come in varying sizes – anywhere from 18 ounces to 32 ounces. This recipe will accommodate most of those sizes. As long as you are grabbing a standard size bag and not a family size bag, it will work.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Made this with lightly toasted garlic bread as the and it was delicious! Pure comfort food on a snowy day.
This had great flavor. I didn’t toast the texas toast before hand and I would highly recommend doing so. If you don’t, it is very “mushy”.
This was SO good! Everyone has seconds. Even the kid that eats like a bird.
I used the frozen cheesy Texas toast and cooked that as directed on the box, and then broiled it for a few minutes to lightly brown the tops, to prevent it from being too soggy. since the toast was cheesy, I omitted the layer of cheese on top of the cream cheese. I used a package of mini meatballs, only because I like those better. Kids insisted that we hang on to this recipe.
This was so good! I was looking for a recipe to use some meatballs I had in the freezer. I did not toast the bread in advance. I wanted it to soak up the sauce. It was really good. That cream cheese mixture really made it creamy. So good!
Love hearing that Paige! Thanks SO much for taking the time to come back & comment!!
Toasted the bread as suggested by other reviewers. Followed the rest of the recipe as written. It turned out perfectly. Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again.
Recipe says 1 bag of frozen meatballs.
How many ounces/pounds/meatballs???
You can look at my ingredient picture to see what I used. Unfortunately I’ve found that frozen meatballs come in varying sizes depending on where you live. I first shared this recipe 13 years ago and since then they’ve changed the bag sizes so many times & it’s impossible to keep up. Also, some frozen meatballs are larger than others. So you just need enough to cover the top. If it’s a little less or a little more, it’ll still work. It doesn’t need to be exact. Just get a standard size bag.
Quick and a kid pleaser!!!
Yay! Thanks so very much Michael!
I love this recipe! I have made it several times using the Texas toast! I skip the cream cheese and mayo, and just pile on the meatballs, sauce and cheese! It’s great for a quick weeknight meal!
How do I order your cookbook 101 Cozy Casseroles? Thank you!
This is a question. Has anybody tried this with riced cauliflower instead of bread. Hubby is a low to 0 carb diet?
With me being diabetic and so many people doing low carb…I think I’ll try this with my homemade low carb bread…the rest should work just fine…wonder what it would taste like with Alfredo instead of pasta sauce? Hubby can’t take the tomatoes!!!
Let me know how it turns out for you!
I had a loaf of french bread so I used that instead. It came out great. I did toast the bread before hand. Very easy dinner just add a salad.
I took a chance and made two of these. One for my hubby and I, the other for our friend who just had a baby. Not a move I would usually make when trying a recipe for the first time.
This was DELICIOUS. I had to improvise since my bread was moldy. I sliced up pieces of regular bread, then toasted them in a pan with butter and Italian seasoning. Since I didn’t have slices I was stumped as to how I was going to spread the cream cheese mixture. I microwaved it until soft, then added the mayo and seasoning. After mixing everything together in a medium size bowl I added the bread pieces then stirred to combine. It turned out wonderfully, so I’ll do that again next time.
Great recipe and easy to change to taste (I didn’t, I thought it was great!)
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much! I love how you worked with what you had. Way to go!!
This is on your post for freeze & make ahead meals…. Where do you pause the cooking/prep to freeze?
Hi Brooke! Just freeze right before the cooking step! 🙂
Yummmm !!!
Hope you love it Kim!!
My son loves meatball subs, and this was an easier version of that!! Delicious! I did toast the bread prior as mentioned…PERFECT! Thank you!!
I have made this recipe 3-4 times and my family loves it. This last time, I used a French bread that was thinner and crusty, so it came out less mushy and even more delicious with some extra crunch in it! I didn't toast the bread before either. Love this super easy and quick recipe that's easy to throw together when I get home from work. Thanks!
Hi, could you do this as a freezer meal?
Great recipe! The bread I used ended up not being very good -maybe stale, I should’ve tested it before using. BUT, the next day I scooped off everything else and made meatball subs! Yum! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve gone through the comments looking to see if anyone has tried making this ahead of time and freezing it with any success. No luck. I’ve made it fresh a few times and was just wondering if it would work from frozen.
Gave it a try and it was loved by all. Next time I will add a bit my more seasoning to it for more my taste
So happy to hear that Mr. Joshua! 🙂
Has anyone tried this recipe in a Crock-Pot ?
Has anybody tried this with garlic toast at the bottom in place of the bread? OBVIOUSLY not good for you but I bet it would be good!
I use the Texas toast 5 cheese garlic toast and it’s amazing! My whole crew loves it!
Did you toast the garlic bread before putting it in the casserole?
I dont toast my bread and it comes out perfect! My second time making it now! The whole family loves it.
Pretty good recipe…
I was a little nervous but I went ahead and tried it.. Let me tell you I have a four (almost 5 in a week) year old boy who is so picky and only eats the meatballs out of his spaghetti, but loves French bread and hummus. He approves of this casserole. Even in the stage of putting the cream cheese, mayo and Italian seasoning over the bread I kept having to replace my toasted bread slices bc he kept taking them to eat himself and give his dad to try. He loves to Cook with me in the kitchen and had a blast being my taste tester. I am going to be one of those people wanting that cookbook! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Could you make this using whole wheat bread?
Sure!
I can not wait to try this casserole, thx for sharing! Plz sign me up for the chance to win, thx!
There's just two of us these days, and my meals get pretty boring. I'm going to give this meatball meal a whirl today! I'd love a cookbook to keep me inspired! I do enjoy reading your blog entries.
I tried this recipe last night, and boy was it a hit!!! Everyone loved it and I was suprised how delicious and filling it was! Thanks so much for sharing! This is definitely a keeper!
would love to win this cook book for my collection!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I picked out a harder French bread and it kept it's crispness through cooking. It was so filling also! Thanks for sharing!
I love cassseroles and Gooseberry publishes some great cookbooks. Shirley at somewheresewin@yahoo.com
Made this last night. Two words: ABSOLUTE FANTABULOUSNESS!!! Ok, so I made up the second word, but there wasn't a word already in existence to describe just how great this dish is. I did follow the suggestion of toasting the bread first, but it still ended up soggy — it didn't really matter. Mushy bread & all, the meatball sub casserole satisfied my hubby-to-be's football-playin' tummy. Thanks, Brandie, & thanks to the folks @ Gooseberry Patch!
I really liked your meatball sub casserole. Just for fun, I tried something different. I put cooked spaghetti in the bottom of the pan instead of bread. I also made meatballs out of Italian sausage with some breadcrumbs.(I fried them first until they were no longer pink) Then followed your recipe. This is a keeper!
Count me in for the give away ….gotta have this cook book! gm3@shaw.ca
My family loves anything with meatballs and red sauce…dying to try this recipe and I LOVE Gooseberry cookbooks. Our budget is tight right now so to win this book would be amazing! lalf57@yahoo.com
Can't wait to try this one out. I would love to win a cookbook full of one dish meals. With our hectic schedule, I am always looking for quick and easy recipes for my family. – jjraz@msn.com
I tried the meatball sub casserole tonight and it was delish! My only issue was even after I toasted the bread beforehand, the bread still came out soggy. I may just cook the meatballs and sauce separately and then spoon it on top of toasted bread with the spread, otherwise just use noodles. Either way, yum!
Tried this tonight…VERY yummy. We will tweak a few things for his taste but it was still very scrumptious and filling.
I'm so happy I found this recipe on your website! Your step by step directions with pictures really make it easy to know what to. I had orginally seen it on Pinterest from a different website but was a little confused by what they had written. I searched on Pinterest and found your recipe instead. Can't wait to try this out tonight 🙂
This was SO good!!! Everyone loved it!
I made your Meatball Sub Casserole for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME and super simple! I will definitely make this again!
I made the meatball casserole and my husband said it was the best meal I have ever made. I wonder if in place of the cream cheese/mayo combo, I could just use ricotta cheese and Italian seasoning.
Fall and winter coming up here soon in Michigan…. What a great book to have with new and different things to fix !!!!! The Meatball Sub Casserole sounds terrific, and I would love to fix it this next week, since its been on the cool side !!!! What an awesome book to win :):):):)
OMGoodness…taking this recipe with me when I go to visit my inlaws. My father inlaw will only love me more. lol YUMMERS!!!
Two days after seeing this recipe on your website, I bought the ingredients and made the casserole. OH..MY..GOSH! My son, who loves meatball subs, was in 7th heaven! This casserole was so, so good and tasted…yes…JUST LIKE MEATBALL SUBS! MORE PLEASE!
I love this recipe! And I would love to win the casserole cookbook you are giving away, they make supper easy & go along way with our family of seven! Thanks for the free recipes too!
My husband is a firefighter so I love having a lot of casserole recipes on hand. I send them in with him so I know that they are all eating well while they are at the firehouse. They can sometimes have calls that run long past dinner time and will grab fast food since it is quicker than making a whole meal. When I send casseroles in, they come back and just throw them in the oven.
I follow GooseBerry Patch on Pinterest.
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