Tender, juicy baked meatballs are simmered in marinara and smothered with cheese in this easy-to-make, family-pleasing Parmesan Meatball Skillet, delicious over pasta or piled on sub sandwiches!
We interrupt your regularly scheduled string of stereotypical summer recipes for a hearty, family-friendly dinner that’s guaranteed to become a regular request, year-round! Parmesan Meatball Skillet is quick and simple to whip up and it’s positively loaded with flavor. And better yet, it’s versatile! Enjoy your meatballs straight from the skillet, scattered over pasta, or piled onto sandwich rolls for the best meatball subs on this side (or any side) of the Mississippi. I’m telling y’all…these meatballs are goooooood.
The first week of summer vacation is officially behind us and boy was it nice! We had pretty much nothing on the agenda so it was a week of extra sleep, lots of free time to play (including Wii Dance marathons during the worst of the torrential Texas downpours...rain, rain, go away), organizing this disaster of a house, and catching up on blog work. This week we do have a few commitments, but overall, I’ve been immensely enjoying the slower-than-usual pace. However, that still doesn’t mean I want to spend hours in the kitchen, so this Parmesan Meatball Skillet seems to find itself on the menu every few weeks!
I tweaked the ratios from my beloved Hawaiian Meatballs recipe to devise the meatball mixture, and after baking up these Parmesan- and panko-loaded beauties in a hot oven, I transferred them to a waiting skillet of jazzed up marinara sauce. Then I topped ’em with mozzarella and extra Parm and allowed everything get nice and melty before garnishing with fresh basil and uncorking a bottle of chianti. Because summer vacation…am I right? 😉
The first time I made this recipe we ate the meatballs straight-up in bowls, with a little marinara underneath to balance out the cheese and a big green salad on the side. Then my eldest son requested the leftovers in sandwich form, and ever since, that has become my kids’ preferred way to enjoy this recipe. And I don’t blame them…these meatballs do make for one amazing meatball sub!
That being said, if you’re in a pasta sort of mood, feel free to increase the amount of marinara to allow for more sauce. If you take this advice, however, I’d also recommend trading out your skillet for a larger pot or Dutch oven to hold the extra sauce without overflow.
So the next time you’re short on time and stumped on what to make for dinner, I highly recommend giving this Parmesan Meatball Skillet a try! Whether it’s June or November, you won’t believe that such a simple recipe can yield so much satisfying flavor.
Tender, juicy baked meatballs are simmered in marinara and smothered with cheese in this easy-to-make, family-pleasing Parmesan Meatball Skillet, delicious over pasta or piled on sub sandwiches!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, DIVIDED
- 1 (24 oz.) jar marinara sauce, DIVIDED
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning, DIVIDED
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 1/3 cup marinara, egg, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, Worcestershire, garlic salt, onion powder, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix ingredients until thoroughly combined but not packed down. Scoop meat into 3-tablespoon mounds (I use a 3 T. cookie scoop) and gently roll into balls (which should measure between 1 1/2 and 2 inches across).
- Arrange meatballs on prepared baking sheet, at least an inch apart. Bake meatballs for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through to the center (cut into a meatball to check for doneness). Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any grease.
- While meatballs are baking, pour remaining marinara in a large, deep skillet (12- to 14-inch diameter). Season with remaining 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and pinch of sugar. Bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Once meatballs are cooked and drained, carefully place them in the skillet of warm sauce, turning each meatball so that all sides are coated. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Cover skillet until cheese is melted. Serve hot as-is, over pasta, or on sandwich rolls for meatball subs.
Notes
If serving meatballs over pasta, feel free to increase the marinara sauce as desired, but it may also be necessary to finish the recipe in a large pot or Dutch oven instead of skillet.
More tasty ground beef suppers…
Cheeseburger Macaroni {Homemade Hamburger Helper}
oh I am %100 sure that they are the most delicious meatballs ever with parmesan. I must make it. Thanks for sharing.
These meatballs are definitely tasty, Eva…hope they’re a hit if you have a chance to try them! 🙂
This looks so delicious! I can picture the meatball sandwiches – yum 🙂
Meatball sandwiches are always a hit at our house, Kristin…I should have known that would be my family’s favorite way to enjoy this recipe! 😉
Samantha,
This past week, I made these meatballs with spaghetti. I had family in town for the holidays and decided to give them a try. They were wonderful!! Everyone loved them!! Since I knew the day would be busy with house guests, I got up before everyone and made the meatballs. After cooking them in the oven, I let them cool and put them in the fridge. Then, when I was putting dinner together, I just put them in the sauce and let them simmer until heated through and then finished the recipe from there. It worked out great and dinner came together so fast since I pre-cooked the meatballs earlier in the day. Have you had luck freezing the meatballs? Anyway, thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe!
Hi Maxine! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe worked out when you entertained company over the holidays! Thanks so much for sharing your make-ahead tips. 🙂 I haven’t tried freezing these particular meatballs (we always end up eating them all!), but I’ve frozen other meatball recipes and they always freeze beautifully. I usually freeze meatballs spread out on a sheet pan, and then put them into a gallon-sized, freezer-thickness baggie and pop it back in the freezer (which prevents the meatballs from sticking together). I don’t see why that wouldn’t work with this recipe as well. Good luck if you decide to try it! 🙂