Irresistible Keto Meatball Casserole Recipe That Will Blow Your Mind!

This mouthwatering keto meatball casserole is super cheesy and full of fabulous Italian flavor, making it a new family favorite. One of the frustrations on keto is the fact that I can’t purchase things like a bag of pre-made meatballs. They make weeknight meals so easy and streamlined. Most meatballs you find in the freezer aisle have breadcrumb fillers and a significant amount of carbs. And the gluten-free versions are just as bad, and sometimes even worse. I did come across one brand of paleo and keto meatballs at one point, but they were exorbitantly expensive and required online ordering. That’s just not practical for any of us. Making your own keto meatballs may be more effort, but it’s worth it. And making a big batch means you can freeze them and have them ready whenever you need it.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This filling and delicious Keto Meatball Casserole is packed with easy homemade meatballs, pasta sauce, and mozzarella cheese. This easy meatball casserole has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Pinterest! If you're craving more tasty casserole recipes, then be sure to try making a Chicken and Broccoli Casserole and Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole. For another recipe using homemade meatballs, try making a Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe.

Ingredients

To make this meatball casserole you will need just a few basic ingredients.

Low Carb Meatballs - This casserole recipe requires homemade meatballs, but no worries as they come together easily and are baked in the same dish as the casserole. All you will need is ground beef, mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan, chopped onion, an egg, and a few spices.
Pasta Sauce - For a simple sauce, try making my recipe for Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce. However, to keep things simple, you may also use your favorite store-bought jar sauce or low carb marinara sauce instead. Any brand from your local grocery store that you prefer or have on hand in your kitchen is fine.
Mozzarella Cheese - Use shredded mozzarella cheese to top the casserole and make it cheesy and delicious. If you prefer to use a different type of shredded cheese like cheddar or a blend of different cheeses, then it should work perfectly fine.
Large vs. cheese - I used a mixture of shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano cheese) and creamy ricotta cheese. These act as a binder for the meatballs in place of bread crumbs as well as a delicious cheesy topping.
marinara sauce - you can either use my homemade marinara sauce or this loaded veggie marinara sauce for an extra boost of vegetables.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making the Meatballs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and grab an 8x8-inch baking dish.
To a large mixing bowl, add the 1 pound ground beef, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese , ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 large egg, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Using a large wooden spoon or clean/gloved hands, mix all of the ingredients together until they stick together to form a large ball.
Using a medium scoop or clean/gloved hand, form the meatballs any size that you like.
Place the meatballs in a casserole dish leaving a small amount of space between each meatball. Basically, make sure they are not touching each other. They will shrink in size while baking.
Place the meatballs into the oven to bake for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
Carefully remove the meatballs from the oven and drain off the excess fat. It may be easier to use a slotted spoon and remove the meatballs and place them in a separate bowl.
Completely drain the dish of any fat and evenly coat the bottom of the dish with 12 ounces of pasta sauce.
Place the meatballs evenly on top of the sauce.
Top the meatballs with the rest of the leftover 12 ounces of pasta sauce. Make sure each individual meatball is covered in the pasta sauce. Use a spoon to spread it evenly.
Top the meatball casserole with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese spread out in an even layer.
Place into the oven and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Carefully remove the casserole from the oven.
Serve warm on top of your favorite pasta or with a side of your favorite vegetable.

Baking Instructions

Begin the easy recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. The casserole recipe begins by making homemade meatballs. Using a small cookie scoop or clean hands, form the meatballs in any size that you prefer. Place the meatballs in an 8x8-inch square casserole dish leaving a small amount of space between each meatball. Basically, make sure they are not touching each other or the sides of the baking dish. They will shrink in size as they bake, this is normal. Place the meatballs into the preheated oven and bake at 400 degrees F. Carefully remove the meatballs from the oven and drain off the excess fat. It may be easier to use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the hot meatballs and place them in a small bowl or dish for a moment. Top the keto meatballs with the other half of the pasta sauce that is left. Make sure that each individual meatball is covered in the pasta sauce. Serve warm on top of your favorite pasta, salad, or with a side of your favorite vegetable. Try not to overbake the casserole, check it during the baking process, and adjust the cooking time as needed.

Slow Cooker Instructions

This easy keto meatball casserole takes only four ingredients that get layered together in a slow cooker. Place the frozen meatballs in the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Pour the tomato sauce overtop. Sprinkle with the cheeses and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, until melted and bubbly. Serve over your favorite keto noodles or cauliflower mash. Set the slow cooker for 2 1/2 hours on high or 4 hours on low.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Alternative Cooking Methods

Oven Instructions

Absolutely. Place all of the ingredients in a glass or ceramic baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. If you’re using fresh meatballs, you will only need about 20 minutes for the first step.

Instant Pot Instructions

The trouble with pressure cookers is that they force a lot of liquid out of the ingredients, so I worry that your keto meatball casserole would be very soupy. But you could use the slow cooker setting on your instant pot, if you have that.

Serving Suggestions

Craving some keto pasta or another side to soak up all the delicious sauce?

Shiritaki noodles - some people don’t love them, but as long as you rinse them properly, you really don’t taste much besides the delicious meatballs and sauce.
Palmini - these are noodles made from hearts of palm. I think they’re serviceable and again, you won’t taste them much when paired with the casserole.
Zucchini noodles - I am always a fan of zucchini noodles and I like to cook them quickly in the microwave. I find 30 to 60 seconds for an individual serving to work perfectly for al dente.
Creamy mashed cauliflower - you aren’t limited to noodles, my friends. Mashed or riced cauliflower is a great way to soak up this delicious sauce.
Keto Egg Noodles - if you’re up for a challenge, you’ve got to try the noodles from Keto Asian Flavours. They get rave reviews!

We enjoy it with a side salad, vegetables, or any of the main low carb pasta options out there, such as palm noodles and zoodles. Our family’s favorite ways to serve this is on top of zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. For any non-keto eaters, you can serve with garlic bread or a side of al dente pasta. Alternatively, you can serve with a side of roasted broccoli or green beans or a green salad.Serve over keto-friendly noodles!

Tips and Variations

Use any ground beef that you prefer or feel free to substitute with ground turkey, ground pork, Italian sausage, or ground chicken.
This recipe makes enough for about nine medium-sized meatballs. I use an ice cream scoop to try to get them all the same size so they cook evenly.
Shred the mozzarella cheese yourself using a box grater because it melts the best. So much better than the pre-shredded cheese in a bag.
That hidden zucchini in my juicy meatballs is my sneaky mom favorite addition. My kids don’t even notice it’s in there. If you really want to hide it you can peel the green skin off first.
If you would like to substitute another veggie for the zucchini I would recommend chopped spinach.
Spices - I prefer to use dried onion, garlic, and basil in these.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating

When you're ready to serve again, reheat in the oven on low heat, on the stovetop in a saucepan, or in the microwave.

Make Ahead

This casserole can be made/assembled and stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 days in advance.

Freezing

The unbaked casserole can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Cover the casserole tightly in a double layer of aluminum foil before storing it in the freezer. When ready to serve, remove the casserole from the freezer and place it into the refrigerator overnight to allow it to thaw. Bake per instructions, but keep in mind that 10 to 15 additional minutes of cooking time may be needed.

To freeze this low carb meatball casserole, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the meatballs separately in a freezer bag to use whenever you need an easy weeknight dinner.

Keto Considerations

Meatballs

Most store-bought meatballs are not keto because they contain breadcrumbs that act as a binder. Breadcrumbs add gluten and carbs and place them squarely in the non-keto category. The only challenge in skipping the breadcrumbs is that you still need something for binding. Technically, you can use egg, but in a casserole such as this, there is a good possibility that your meatballs would crumble. Just about every store bought brand of frozen meatballs is going to contain breadcrumbs or sugar or something that isn’t completely keto friendly. If you are just tracking net carbs it shouldn’t be a problem. There are some brands of gluten free meatballs that are probably more keto friendly, like Rosina or Farm Rich. Or, just make your own!

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

Choosing Ingredients

It’s not always easy to find no-sugar-added marinara sauce, but there are a few good brands out there. Rao’s is extremely popular. Another good one is Yo Mama’s Foods. Look for brands that have no more than 5g of carbs per 1/2 cup serving. Be sure to check the serving size, as many list it as only 1/4 cup. If you can’t find a good low carb marinara, make a quick tomato sauce using 1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes. Blend them up and add a bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. I recommend getting a block of whole milk mozzarella and grating it yourself, to save carbs. I ran the numbers on this with pre-packaged part-skim cheese and it was almost a full carb higher. I also recommend grating your own Parmesan. Not because it changes the carb count but because it has better flavor. Whatever you do, don’t use the stuff from the green can. It’s just not good!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to make your meatball recipe or can I make a different one?

Make whichever recipe you like! Just be sure to cook them through fully before freezing, so that you can add them to the keto meatball casserole safely. You will need about 24 ounces of meatballs for this recipe.

Can I add the meatballs when they’re fresh?

You can definitely do that too. You still want them to be fully cooked, as raw meatballs give off a lot of juice and grease as they cook, and will make a mess of your casserole.

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