Meatballs combine with marinara sauce, provolone cheese and garlic bread in this deconstructed meatball sub casserole.
If you are looking for a skillet dinner that everyone is sure to enjoy, this Meatball Sub casserole is it! This deconstructed meatball sub is perfect comfort food. I love that you can use store-made sauce, meatballs and garlic bread too, if you like!
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Meatballs – You can make your own meatballs from the Recipe Card below or opt for store-made or frozen meatballs if you like.
Marinara sauce – You can make your own marinara sauce or I like to use a good quality jarred marinara sauce (I love Rao’s).
Provolone cheese – I love provolone cheese in this casserole. It melts beautifully and tends to have a bit more flavour than mozzarella. That said, sliced mozzarella is just fine here, too.
Garlic bread – I made my own garlic bread from a baguette for this casserole, but you can use store-bought garlic bread if you prefer.
Basil – Fresh basil is nice in this casserole, but a sprinkling of dried basil will do fine, as well.
How to make this meatball sub casserole
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by making the garlic bread. Spread the baguette slices with the garlic butter and pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden.
- Set aside the garlic bread (can be made ahead and stored in a bag at room temperature once cooled).
- Add a bit of the marinara sauce to the bottom of an oven-safe skillet or baking dish.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet. My meatballs here are quite large, so I’m only using 7 of them. If yours are smaller, add a few more.
- Drizzle a bit more marinara sauce overtop of the meatballs. Pop in the oven until the marinara sauce is bubbling and the meatballs are warmed through, about 15 minutes.
- Scatter some fresh basil leaves into the skillet (you can sprinkle with dried basil instead).
- Tuck the sliced provolone next to the meatballs.
- Place the garlic bread slices on top of the provolone slices.
- Top the casserole with some freshly-grated Parmesan cheese and bake for about 10-12 minutes to melt the cheese.
Recipe tips!
- This is one of those casseroles where you can make any, all or none of the parts of this casserole from scratch, so it is very adaptable to what you have on hand or your energy level for getting dinner done.
- Double the meatball recipe and freeze half of them for a future meatball dinner!
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This casserole is best enjoyed freshly cooked.
You can cook the meatballs ahead and refrigerate if you want a head start. You can also cook the garlic bread ahead. Allow the garlic bread to cool then transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature until needed. When ready, simply assemble the casserole and bake.
The cooked casserole will freeze for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Meatball Sub Casserole
Ingredients
- 22 oz (660 ml) jarred marinara sauce, such as Rao's
- 5 slices provolone cheese, or mozzarella
- 1/2 baguette, sliced diagonally into 5 slices
- 8 fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, for topping, plus more for garnish
For the garlic bread:
- 1/4 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the meatballs:
- 2 cups day-old bread, crusts removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup milk or buttermilk
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
For the garlic bread:
- Tip! You can use store-bought garlic bread if you like. Simply cook according to the package instructions before using in the casserole, to avoid soggy bread.
- Preheat the oven to 425F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Stir together the butter and garlic in a small bowl, then spread onto the slices of baguette. Place onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container once cooled, if making ahead.
For the meatballs:
- Tip! You can make your own meatballs or use grocery store-made or frozen meatballs. Cook according to package instructions.
- Increase the oven temperature to 450F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Add the cubed bread and the milk to a large bowl. Stir together, then let stand to soak while you continue with the recipe.
- Combine the remaining meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, squeeze any excess moisture from the bread, enough so it is not dripping but is still moistened. Add the bread to the bowl with the meat mixture. Fold the bread into the meat.
- For the meat mixture into meatballs about the size of golf balls and place onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs until browned and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
For assembling the casserole:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400F (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Add about 2/3 of the marinara sauce to a cast-iron skillet, oven-safe skillet or shallow baking dish.
- Place the cooked meatballs into the marinara sauce. Place into the oven until the sauce is bubbly and the meatballs are warmed through, about 15 minutes (though maybe a bit longer if the meatballs have been made ahead and refrigerated).
- Remove the skillet from the oven. Scatter the fresh basil leaves around the meatballs. Fold the provolone pieces in half and tuck into the sauce beside the meatballs, with the opening of the fold up. Place a piece of garlic bread into the fold of the cheese. Top with some grated Parmesan cheese.
- Return the skillet to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.
Notes
- You can make your own marinara sauce from your favourite recipe if you prefer.
- You can use store-bought meatballs if you like. Simply cook per the package instructions.
- You can use store-bought garlic bread if you like, but be sure to cook/toast it in the oven before using it in the casserole, to prevent it from becoming soggy in the sauce.
- You can use the other half of the baguette for the bread needed for the meatballs.
More meatball recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
