Keto Meatball Casserole without Pasta

This filling and delicious Keto Meatball Casserole is packed with easy homemade meatballs, pasta sauce, and mozzarella cheese. It comes together in minutes and is perfect to share with the whole family.

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.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this recipe on the blog or not. It has made a frequent appearance on my dinner menu over the past few months. It's so delicious, loaded with flavor, and completely filling. 

For this meatball casserole, I sometimes use my recipe for homemade pasta sauce which cooks up in minutes. The pasta sauce requires a pinch of sugar and you can omit it or use stevia instead. I have done both with no problem. If you prefer to use pasta sauce from a jar, then that's totally fine as well. 

The recipe requires homemade meatballs, but no worries as they are baked in the oven using the same dish that you will use to make the casserole.  

Let's get started!

Meatball Casserole Ingredients

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

How to Make Keto Meatball Casserole

Begin the easy recipe by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

The casserole recipe begins by making homemade meatballs. Add the ground beef, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, chopped onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper to a large mixing bowl.

Stir everything together using a large wooden spoon or clean and/or gloved hands until all of the ingredients are combined and the meat mixture sticks together to form a large ball. 

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. 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 to carefully remove the hot meatballs and place them in a small bowl or dish for a moment.

Fully drain the dish of any fat and evenly coat the bottom of the dish with half of the pasta sauce. Place the meatballs evenly on top of the sauce. 

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. Use a spoon to spread it out evenly. 

Top the meatball casserole evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese, and spread it 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. 

Serve warm on top of your favorite pasta, salad, or with a side of your favorite vegetable. If using this as a family meal, I usually serve mine over zucchini noodles and the rest of the family over spaghetti noodles. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Try not to overbake the casserole, check it during the baking process, and adjust the cooking time as needed.
• 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.

Storage Tips

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. Perfect meal prep option!

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.

More Recipes You'll Love

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• Meatball Sub Sandwich
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• Easy Pizza Bowls
• Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce
• Easy Lasagna Recipe
• Keto Ranch Dressing
• Keto Chocolate Fat Bombs

Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ways and ideas to serve this Keto Meatball Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 01/15/2020. Updated 03/27/2023 & 07/19/2024.