Meatball Sub Casserole

Ingredients

1/3 c onion, chopped fine
1/4 c seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
16 oz ground beef or ground turkey
1 Tbsp flax seed, fresh ground (optional)
1 loaf italian bread
8 oz cream cheese or low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 c mayonnaise or light miracle whip
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
8 oz shredded mozzarella, divided (low fat, if you’d like)
26-28 oz spaghetti sauce, meatless (healthy version, if you’d like)
1 c water
2 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a shallow pan with foil; coat foil lightly with nonstick spray.

2. In a bowl, combine onion, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, ground beef or turkey, and ground flax, if desired. Mix well and shape into 1 inch balls; place on prepared pan leaving a little space between each one. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 min or until no longer pink.

3. Lightly coat a 13×9 baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange Italian bread in a single layer in dish (I like to open the bread up like a sub and cut to fit in dish but however you’d like.) NOTE** All the bread may not fit in dish- that’s ok.

4. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Blend until smooth and well combined. Spread over bread in dish. Sprinkle 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese onto cream cheese mixture on bread.

5. In a separate bowl, combine sauce, water and garlic; add the meatballs. Pour over cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

6. Bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Spread the Love