Easy Italian Meatball Rice Casserole

Italian Meatball Rice Casserole

Literally dump it in the pan and bake, Italian Meatball Rice Casserole is easy to do even with your 2 year old standing on your feet!

I would have never thought to put rice in marinara sauce together, however this recipe was a super winner! Grey loves all the things in it and was obsessed with this casserole. It’s hard having a picky eater who won’t try anything. I think it might be karma because well sorry mom, I was the pickiest eater. Now I know how my mom felt, it’s frustrating. This recipe is definitely kid friendly!

Italian Meatball Rice Casserole Ingredients

27 ounces of your Favorite marinara sauce (we use Rao’s from Costco)
¾ cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 clove of garlic minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice (Basmati is the best)
1 – 26 ounce package Fully-Cooked Italian-Style frozen meatballs (you do not need to thaw the meatballs)
½ cup 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Stir marinara sauce, tomatoes, water, garlic, oregano, and rice together in a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish. Add meatballs and stir to combine.
Cover the baking dish tightly with a lid or foil.
Bake for 60-75 minutes or until the rice is tender. During the final 5 minutes of cooking, remove dish from oven, uncover, and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Place back in the oven (uncovered) for the final 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Garnish with parsley just before serving.

Did you try our Italian Meatball Rice Casserole? What did you think? We would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram!

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