Description
This Chicken Meatball Casserole is a comforting, flavorful dish featuring tender ground chicken meatballs baked in a rich tomato sauce, topped with melted provolone cheese and served with toasted garlic baguette slices. It’s a no-pasta casserole perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz (250 g) ground chicken
- 1/4 cup grated onion
- 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (for browning)
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated onion
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- Small handful fresh basil leaves, coarsely torn
Bread & Cheese
- 5 slices baguette (Italian or artisan bread works well)
- Additional cloves of garlic for the bread (optional)
- 4-5 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly coat a 9 x 11-inch shallow casserole or baking dish with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, grated onion, dried bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, minced parsley, minced basil, beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Form the meat mixture into small meatballs and brown them in the skillet for about 4-5 minutes, turning to brown all sides. They don’t need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Prepare tomato sauce: In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté 1/2 cup grated onion and 2 cloves minced garlic over medium heat until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook for another minute to deepen the flavor.
- Add crushed tomatoes and basil: Pour in the canned crushed tomatoes and add the torn fresh basil leaves. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble casserole: Spread a layer of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Place the browned meatballs evenly over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the meatballs to cover them well.
- Prepare bread topping: Lightly toast the baguette slices, optionally rubbing them with additional garlic cloves for flavor. Layer the toasted bread slices on top of the meatballs and sauce.
- Add cheese and bake: Place provolone cheese slices over the bread layer. Bake uncovered in the preheated 400°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy: Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. This casserole is great served hot as a filling, cheesy meatball dinner.
Notes
- This casserole is a pasta-free alternative, making it lighter but still hearty and satisfying.
- Using fresh herbs like parsley and basil brightens the flavor profile.
- To make the bread topping more flavorful, optionally rub toasted baguette slices with garlic cloves before layering.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated the next day—cover tightly to keep moist.
- Ground chicken can be substituted with turkey or a chicken-turkey mix if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 266 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 466 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
