Mac Cheese Meatball Bake (Printable)

Tender pasta, savory meatballs, and creamy cheese sauce baked into a golden casserole.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz elbow macaroni or small pasta shells

→ Meatballs

02 - 1.1 lb ground beef or pork
03 - 1 large egg
04 - ½ cup breadcrumbs
05 - 2 tablespoons milk
06 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Cheese Sauce

12 - ¼ cup unsalted butter
13 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
14 - 3 cups whole milk
15 - 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
16 - ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
17 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
18 - ½ teaspoon salt
19 - ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

→ Topping

20 - ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
21 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
22 - 1 tablespoon melted butter
23 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water and cook pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix until just combined. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place on a lined baking sheet.
04 - Bake meatballs in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until browned and cooked through.
05 - Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mozzarella, Dijon mustard, salt, and nutmeg until smooth.
06 - Combine cooked pasta, baked meatballs, and cheese sauce in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Mix panko, Parmesan, and melted butter together. Evenly sprinkle over the casserole.
08 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the topping is golden and sauce is bubbling.
09 - Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley and serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The meatballs stay tender and juicy inside the creamy sauce, no rubbery edges.
  • One dish to bake means less cleanup, which honestly matters as much as the flavor.
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time at the end; five minutes lets the sauce thicken just enough so servings don't slide all over the plate.
  • If your meatballs start falling apart when you stir, you either overmixed the meat or didn't cook them long enough; next time, go gentle with mixing and give them the full 15 minutes in the oven.
  • The sauce thickens more as it cools, so if it looks slightly loose when you're mixing everything, that's actually correct.
03 -
  • Make the cheese sauce in advance if you're short on time; it keeps in the fridge for two days and reheats gently with a splash of milk if it's too thick.
  • The nutmeg might sound optional, but a quarter teaspoon completely changes how the sauce tastes; don't skip it unless you truly can't use it.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks grainy after adding cheese, it usually means the heat was too high; lower it and whisk in a tablespoon of cold milk to smooth it out.
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