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These Simple Baked Cheesy Italian Chicken Meatballs are best for cold fall and winter nights when you want easy comfort food at home. All mixed in one bowl, these meatballs come together easily and are so flavorful. This dish is warm, saucy, cheesy, and so amazing. Add some crusty bread or pasta on the side for a delicious hearty meal. Perfect as a simple family dinner. Yet equally great as an appetizer for upcoming holiday entertaining.
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The thing about this past year and a half that I actually love is the fact thatโs itโs made time with our families even more special and more valuable. Weโve been able to spend more time with family than ever before. And personally, Iโve loved having my brothers and cousins around to cook for on a more daily basis.
My oldest brother, who has been living with us since covid began, has inspired quite a few recipes. And to no oneโs surprise Iโm sure, he very much influenced this meatball recipe.
Creighton loves any form of meatballs, but meatballs covered in sauce and cheese? Oh yeah, I could probably get him to do just about anything for me. When he found out these were for dinner, his excitement was like a kid on Christmas morning.
Meatballs are something Iโve actually come to love to make. I use a trick my grandma taught me to keep them juicy and flavorfulโฆbut still super simple.
You guys are going to love how easy these are, and of course how delicious too!!
The process is simple, here are the steps
Start with the bread. My grandma used to wet the bread, then ring out the excess water and tear the bread into super fine pieces. This is the key to a juicy, non-dry meatball.
Add the bread to a bowl along with a mixture of spicy Italian chicken sausage and ground chicken. I love to use spicy chicken sausage for added flavor and heat, but use what you like best.
If youโre having a hard time finding ground chicken sausage, you can of course use regular pork sausage. Or make your own ground chicken sausage, which I often do. Itโs simple, just take ground chicken and mix it with plenty of dry spices and herbs. I included my recipe below in the notes so you guys can make it too!
Next, add shallots, garlic, eggs, and parmesan to the ground chicken and spicy sausage. Mix that all together, and youโre ready to roll your meatballs.
Now bake! I love baking meatballs. Itโs so much easier and cleaner, not to mention healthier, than frying them up in a skillet.
Once the meatballs are crisp and cooked, I pour over some jarred marinara sauce. Then top with a mixture of mozzarella and provolone cheese and a handful of fresh oregano.
Finish it up
Bake the meatballs until the cheese is super melty and browning on top and the sauce is bubbling.
At this point, your kitchen is going to smell pretty amazing, which always leaves everyone excited for dinner.
Itโs such a great dish for an easy family dinner. Or use these meatballs as appetizers for your next dinner party with friends.
Iโm already planning to make these again for Halloween night. These meatballs and sauce will be so delicious over a plate of spaghetti with a big side salad. Especially after trick-or-treating in the cold! Crusty bread on the side is also a must for soaking up all that sauce.
Looking for other easy fam dinner recipes?ย Here are a few ideas:ย
30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs
Spicy Pumpkin and Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells
Slow Cooker Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Roasted Garlic Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Boats
Lastly, if you make these Simple Baked Cheesy Italian Chicken Meatballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, donโt forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Simple Baked Cheesy Italian Chicken Meatballs
Ingredientsย
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage, (see note)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 slices soft whole grain bread
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 small shallots, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncinis
- 1 jar (32 ounce) marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded provolone
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano
Instructionsย
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450ยฐ F. Grease a 9ร13 inch baking dish with olive oil.2. Take the bread and run it under water until dampened but not soaked. Gently squeeze the excess water out of the bread and then crumble the dampened bread into pieces.3. In a bowl, combine the sausage, chicken, bread crumble, eggs, parmesan, shallots, garlic, pepperoncinis, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Coat your hands with olive oil, then roll the meat into 2 tablespoon size balls, and place them into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp on the outside, but not yet cooked through on the inside.4. Remove from the oven and pour the marinara over top the meatballs. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove the foil and add the cheeses and oregano. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve topped with fresh oregano and your favorite pasta!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi- this sounds delicious! I want to serve at a party & want to simplify โday ofโโฆ if I make the meatballs ahead of time, freeze, then thaw for day of finishing, can you tell me how to proceed? Or, would I be better off making the whole dish ahead & reheating? Thank you! Love your recipes!
Hey Mari,
I would freeze after step 3 and then you can finish the recipe when you are ready to serve. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Hello! If I need to make this gluten free, what should I do for the bread component? Thanks!
Hi Megan,
I would go ahead and use a gluten free bread option, that will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe!
We make these all the time! So quick and easy and very delicious! Thank you!
Hi Colleen,
Happy Sunday!! I am so glad to hear this recipe always turns out well for you, thanks for choosing to make it!
I have a question about the homemade ground Italian Chicken. If youโre using 1 lb of Italian chicken, say for another recipe, do you only use half the ingredients (1/2 tablespoon pepper, 1/2 tablespoon of salt etc) if youโre only using it for 1 lb instead of two? Thank you in advance.
Hi Samantha,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much! Absolutely yummy!
Hi Ricki! Thank you so much for trying out these meatballs, so glad you enjoyed them! ๐ xT
Made these last night. Used ground turkey and (by mistake) precooked spicy chicken sausage. I did not think it would workโฆI was wrong. So delicious! Next time Iโll be better prepared with uncooked sausage. Will def be making again. I froze the leftovers and will use them eventually for meatball sandwiches.
Hey Nan,
Perfect! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Happy Holidays!๐๐
I made these for dinner tonight, and dare I say, I like these better than my Italian beef and Italian sausage meatballs. The chicken makes these much lighter, and this recipe is absolutely delicious! Tieghan, your recipes are some of my faves!!! Thank you so much!!!
Hey Val,
Happy Sunday!๐ Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, so glad it turned out nicely for you! Thanks so much for your kind message:)
This dinner was amazing. I made my own spicy chicken sausage using your suggestions in the notes for the spice mixture. I couldn’t find provolone cheese so, substituted fontina. I served it with your Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad, pasta and garlic bread. The family loved everything!
Yay! Love to hear this, Christine! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback. Happy Sunday!
Can I use already prepared breadcrumbs? If so how much?
Hi Donna,
Sure, that would work for you. I would use about 1/2 cup to 1 cup. I hope you love this recipe!
These were just perfection! Loved the fun addition of the pepperoncinis!
Thanks so much, Summer! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:)
Hi! Excited to make this. Will the meatballs freeze well once they are made, but uncooked? I thought about doubling the meatballs itself and then freezing 1/2 of them to use at a later date. Thanks!
Hey Sharanya,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Another fabulous recipe by HBH. I made it for football Sunday night dinner, and my son and his friends complimented it. Cheesy meatballs with sauce, like you shared, and they are happy.
Hey Melissa,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great week:)
So delicious! Made this with only 1 lb ground chicken as I couldnโt find the ground sausage. Also substituted bread slices for gluten free breadcrumbs and it came out great.
Question – if replacing chicken sausage with season lb of ground chicken, does this mean using an overall 2lbs of ground chicken in the recipe?
Thanks!!
Hey Erika,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Yes, that is correct, so you would have 2 pounds of meat:) Have the best week! x
This is our familyโs go to dinner, easy to make with pasta or meatball hoagies!!
I’m thinking of making this dish ahead of time for a family gathering a couple hours away. Could this be made ahead and reheated? or Should I pick another dish?
Hi Mary! Yes, this could definitely be made ahead and reheated! ๐ xT