Keto Meatball Casserole

This Keto Meatball Casserole is the perfect weekday dinner that will have everyone in the house running to the dinner table. Savory Italian style meatballs with classic marinara and topped with melted mozzerella cheese. You don't have to make two separate meals when you have a keto casserole dish this good!

Easy Low Carb and Keto Meatball Casserole

This meatball recipe is one I have been using for years.  You may have seen it before accompanied by a bacon tomato sauce.

I use shredded parmesan as a binder instead of breadcrumbs or almond flour.  I think this gives the meatballs so much flavor.

My husband raved over this recipe so it is definitely making another appearance on our dinner table sometime soon.

What meat is best?

I like to use a combination of ground beef and sausage for the best flavor.  The ground beef I use is 85/15 but you can use a leaner ground beef if you like.  The sausage I use is either plain pork sausage or ground Italian sausage.  You can use links but you will need to remove the meat from the casings first.

Can I use frozen meatballs?

This recipe would work perfectly with frozen meatballs.  This recipe makes about 12 large meatballs but if you are using frozen meatballs, you would probably double that amount since they are usually smaller.

For frozen meatballs, pour them into the casserole dish and top with the marinara and shredded cheese.  bake in the oven until the meatballs are cooked to 165F on the inside.  This may take 30 minutes or longer depending on their size.

Keep in mind that frozen store-bought meatballs contain fillers such as breadcrumbs and soy.

How to keep meatballs from sticking in the skillet when browning

Heavy bottom skillets are recommended by chefs for browning meat but since these skillets are not non-stick, the meat tends to stick.  Chefs avoid this by leaving the meat to sear and develop a thick crust but sometimes us home cooks are impatient and try to flip the meatballs too soon.

I prefer to use a non-stick skillet with spray oil to avoid sticking.  I still get browned meatballs but without the headache of them sticking to the pan!

Do I use pre-shredded cheese?

I always use pre-shredded cheese in my recipes and that is reflected in the nutrition info.  Pre-shredded cheese are usually coated in a starch such as potato starch.  If you want to avoid this, you can shred your own.

Can this be made ahead and frozen?

This would be a perfect casserole to make ahead or make 2 and freeze one for later.  To freeze, make the meatballs and brown as instructed, then put them in a freezer safe casserole container.  Top with the sauce and cheese and cover with foil.  You can also freeze just the meatballs and assemble the casserole when you are ready to serve.  Freeze for up to 4 months.  If you froze the entire casserole, let it thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before cooking and serving.

Checkout some of my other tasty and family approved casseroles: 

• Keto Chicken Fajita Casserole
• Loaded Cauliflower Rice Casserole
• Keto Meat Lovers Pizza Casserole
• Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

Keto Meatball Casserole

This Keto Meatball Casserole is the perfect weekday dinner that will have everyone in the house running to the dinner table. Savory Italian style meatballs with classic marinara and topped with melted mozzerella cheese. You don't have to make two separate meals when you have a keto casserole dish this good!

5 from 7 votes

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 629

Author: Jennifer Banz

This post may contain affiliate links

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Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• ½ Pound Ground breakfast sausage or Italian sausage
• 2 Pounds Ground beef
• ½ Cup Grated Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup Chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
• 2 Large Eggs, beaten
• 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 24 oz sugar free Jar Marinara
• 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Equipment

• Meat Thermometer (Click here for the one I like best on Amazon

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a 9x9 casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Combine ground beef, sausage, parmesan, parsley, olive oil, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Careful not to overwork the meat.
• Roll your mixture into 12 -13 meatballs.
• Spray avocado oil in a large skillet and fry each meatball over medium heat until brown on all sides. Use a non stick skillet with the spray oil for even more assurance that your meatballs do not stick.
• Place your meatballs inside a 9x9 casserole dish. Add the jar of marinara sauce around the meatballs
• Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the meatballs.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until an internal meat thermometer reads 165F in the center of the meatballs. If you would like your cheese to get a little more brown, you can set your oven to broil for a few minutes extra.
• Serve.

Notes

• Use Frozen Meatballs for an even quicker dish: Frozen meatballs will work in this recipe, but since frozen meatballs are generally smaller you would use more.  Fill the bottom of the casserole dish with the meatballs.  Note that store bought frozen meatballs are a little higher in carbs than these homemade ones.
• Jar Marinara: The one I have linked is my favorite keto friendly marinara but you can use any brand that is your favorite.  Look for one that has no sugar added.  You can also make your own with my recipe for keto marinara sauce.
• Ground Beef: I use 85/15 ground beef for this recipe 
• Pre-shredded Cheese: I always use pre-shredded cheese and this fact is reflected in the nutrition info.  You can shred your own if you like.

Servings: 6

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 629 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 48g | Fiber: 1g

Keyword :gluten free, keto, recipe for keto meatball casserole