Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

1 (31-32 ounce) jar marinara sauce

3 cups water

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta

14 ounces frozen fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) Italian-style meatballs, (thawed)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend cheese

Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese; fresh chopped herbs such as basil or parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, whisk together the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the uncooked pasta and the meatballs to the dish, spreading them evenly in the sauce mixture. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top

Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender.

Garnish with optional toppings if desired.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 /6 of the casserole
• Calories: 442 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Cholesterol: 54 mg
• Sodium: 1184 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 50 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 24 g