Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole

Dump and bake meatball casserole that everyone actually loves. easy and can be prepared in a matter of minutes, relatively nutritious.

There are so many days when i find myself super busy with the hustle and bustle of life that I forget all about makign dinner. There are also those days where I know I’m going to be busy and I need to get somethign started in the morning as I won’t have time to make a meal later on in the day. That’s when recipes like these come in handy. Dump and bake meatball casserole is just that. You dump all 5 ingredients into the slow cooker, set it, and forget it! Does it really get any better than that? Nope, not really. Enjoy this amazing meal!

CAN I PREPARE IT IN ADVANCE?
Yes, you can! Make this recipe even easier by preparing it ahead of time. Prepare the casserole as directed in the recipe and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Leave it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it that night for dinner.
I don’t recommend making it the night before and letting it sit in water overnight.
This recipe is so simple to make that you only need a few minutes of prep time to assemble. I recommend assembling it just before baking but it can be prepared and refrigerated in the morning.

DO I NEED TO STIR IT HALFWAY THROUGH COOKING?
I highly recommend making this dinner when you can stir it halfway through. Stirring the pot helps to mix all the pasta into the water and soften it during the cooking time.
If you can’t stir halfway through cooking, that’s okay, but be aware that there will be parts and pieces of pasta that have a crunchy texture because they weren’t mixed with the water halfway through cooking.

CAN I USE OTHER PASTA IN THIS POT TO COOK?
Yes, you can, but make sure they are the same size as the spiral rotini.
Other shapes of pasta may also be suitable, such as penne or mini butterfly knots. You can also try using medium shell pasta. I’ve only ever made this casserole with rotini pasta, so that’s what I recommend. The cooking time may be slightly different if you use larger or different pasta rather than rotini.
I prefer rotini because it’s the perfect shape and has all those grooves and spirals that hold the sauce in the pasta.

CAN I USE HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE INSTEAD OF JARRED?
Yes, of course you can! If you have extra pasta sauce, this is the perfect way to use it. There always seems to be leftovers when I make this Italian Sausage and Beef Spaghetti Sauce in the slow cooker. Even more meat with this one! You can also try making my homemade meat spaghetti sauce or my easy spaghetti sauce recipe.
A 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce is equal to 3 cups.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of frozen meatballs defrosted
• 1 Jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
• 3 Cups of water
• 1 Box Bowtie pasta
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ C. Mozzarella cheese
• ¼ C. Parmesan cheese grated

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Top with cheeses and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Let sit for 10high-side before serving. or skillet. Stir to combine.
3. Bake covered for 35 minutes.
4. Top with cheeses and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.