The hot Italian sausage in this meatball casserole recipe provides a little extra kick. This easy cheesy ground beef meatball casserole is one of my all-time favorite recipes to make.

The easy meatballs are a combination of ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, Parmesan cheese, seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, eggs and dried Italian seasoning. You could use homemade marinara sauce, but I opted for a good-quality jarred sauce. There are so many good brands out there these days! Top with shredded mozzarella, bake and you have a winning Italian dinner.

If you’re not a fan of heat, use sweet, mild or regular Italian sausage. Don’t forget to make extra for meatball sandwiches the next day or the day after. Serve this easy meatball casserole recipe with crunchy Italian bread or garlic bread and a side salad. Poof! Dinner is done!

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 to 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Servings: Makes about 20 meatballs  

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage (hot, sweet or regular)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, rough chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and rough chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, stems removed
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup seasoned  Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning
• 24 ounces of your favorite  marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Here’s how to make it:  

1. n the bowl of your  food processor, add onion, garlic, carrot and parsley. Blitz to small bits.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, eggs and the blitzed vegetables. With your clean hands, mix until everything comes together.  Roll into 4- to  5-ounce meatballs. (I use a medium-sized  ice cream scoop for consistency.)
3. Over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan. Brown the meatballs on both sides for about 2 to  3 minutes or until you create a nice crispy brown sear. Cook about halfway through (they will finish in the oven).
4. Spread a few tablespoons of marinara sauce on the bottom of a  casserole dish.  Place the meatballs in the dish  and add the remaining marinara sauce. Top with the  mozzarella cheese.
5. Cover with foil that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated 425-degree F oven  until the cheese is fully melted and the meatballs are fully cooked to 165 degrees F.

Credit: 30Seconds