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These are the Very Best Cheesy Italian Meatballs! Baked in a delicious marina sauce and drizzled with olive oil, chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. Perfect spaghetti and meatballs every time! Or try with baked spaghetti squash for a low carb dinner.

Who doesn’t like a good Italian meatball recipe.. especially one that is over the top delicious?

above shot of Very Best Cheesy Italian Meatballs on a rustic farm table with fresh herbs and parmesan

the very best cheesy Italian meatballs

I can’t tell you how many times my husband or I have ordered spaghetti and meatballs from a restaurant only to be disappointed. So often the meatballs are lacking flavor. Or, in our case a few times we have ordered it only to find that the meat was spoiled. Yuck. Definitely not what you want when you pay good money from an Italian restaurant.

So, we made it our mission to find the best Italian meatball recipe and this is what we discovered..

Theres Italian meatballs are incredibly versatile. You can use any noodle you fancy, or skip the noddles altogether for spaghetti squash for a low carb meal. Sometimes spaghetti squash is hard to find, but if you do, I highly recommend roasting one to use as “spaghetti” noodles. I plan on roasting one soon, so be on the lookout for that recipe in the near future!

Have you ever tried spaghetti squash? Its amazing how much it turns out like noodles! We were skeptical at first until we tried it ourselves, but now we are hooked! Plus, its super easy and perfect for a low carb dinner.

everything you need to make the best cheesy Italian meatballs

how to make the meatballs

Lets talk about the leftovers. These Italian meatballs honestly taste even better the next day. I have read Italian recipes that call for you to allow the sauce to sit overnight before serving.. so there is definitely something to that method. All those delicious flavors have a chance to marinate overnight giving it an even richer flavor the next day. Of course there is no need to wait to enjoy these the next day. But when you do… they will be even more delicious. Win-win.

more ways to enjoy cheesy Italian meatballs

Another great way to enjoy all those leftovers is to make Italian subs or even a delicious Italian meatball soup! This recipe makes a lot, so its fun to get creative.

Another great thing about these cheesy Italian meatballs is that they freeze incredibly well; so if you just want to save all those leftovers for a night you just need something easy, pop them in a freeze proof ziploc bag, and simply take out when you need any easy home cooked meal.

You start by making the meatball mixture and then you brown the meatballs on both sides sealing in all that moisture and flavor. Once they are all browned, you put them in a large casserole dish, top with a high quality (or homemade) marinara, add mozzarella, drizzle with some olive oil and bake! Sooooo delicious!

Let me know if you make this, I would love to hear how this turns our for you!

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These Cheesy Italian Meatballs would pair so well with my Swirled Garlic Herb Cheese Bread for dipping!

We hope you love these Cheesy Italian Meatballs as much as we do. If you make this dish, please be sure to leave a comment and/or rating below! I truly love hearing from you!

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More Pasta Recipes to try:

Recipe

The Very Best Cheesy Italian Meatballs

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: beef, cheese, meatballs, pasta, spaghetti

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup whole milk
4 slices of thick white bread, crusts removed
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey (or pork)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups gated mozzarella cheese
1 24 oz jar high quality marinara sauce, or homemade
noodles or spaghetti squash to serve

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion until it begins to soften and turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Take off the heat to allow to cool.
Remove the crusts from the white bread and pour the whole milk over the top. Allow to sit for a few minutes so the milk absorbs into the bread. Squeeze out excess milk from the bread as best as you can, and discard leftover milk.
In a large bowl, add the meats the moistened bread, onion, egg, dried basil, oregano, fresh grated parmesan, salt and pepper. Using your hands mix very well until evenly incorporated.
Form into meatballs, about 2 tablespoons mixture per meatball. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. Brown the meatballs on both sides, about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned. When they are done browning, add the meatballs to a large casserole dish.
Add the marinara sauce over the top, shower with mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is bubbly and brown, about 25 minutes. Serve with noodles of choice. Enjoy!