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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.
The thing about this past year and a half that I actually love is the fact that’s it’s made time with our families even more special and more valuable. We’ve been able to spend more time with family than ever before. And personally, I’ve 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 one’s surprise I’m 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 I’ve actually come to love to make. I use a trick my grandma taught me to keep them juicy and flavorful…but 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 you’re 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. It’s 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 you’re ready to roll your meatballs.
Now bake! I love baking meatballs. It’s 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.
It’s such a great dish for an easy family dinner. Or use these meatballs as appetizers for your next dinner party with friends.
I’m 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? Here are a few ideas:
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, don’t 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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 622 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Grease a 9×13 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
Ground Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage: I buy ground chicken sausage at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, you can make your own by adding the following spice mix to 1 pound ground chicken:
1 tablespoon each of fennel seed, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper; 2 teaspoons each of cayenne (or less, if you don’t want it too spicy), paprika, and garlic powder; and 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.
OMG – These meatballs are AMAZING!!! Made the recipe with ground chicken and mild pork sausage with San Marzano Marinara and they were so good – great flavor! We ate them without pasta as we’re watching carbs. They definitely gave us our Italian fix and we didn’t miss the pasta at all! Going to add this recipe into our regular rotation!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
How much of the spice mix do I use for a pound of ground pork if I make my own sausage? The entire recipe you give seems like a lot!
Thanks
Hi Donna,
That is the amount that I use for 1 pound of meat. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Going to make this tomorrow. Can I substitute the whole wheat bread for Italian bread? My loaf has rather small slices. Should I use an extra slice? Should I trim off the hard crust or keep it on? I’m nervous about this bread method. I have always used crumbs in the past.
Hi Barbara,
Just use 2 slices of the bread including the crust, it will be just fine:) I hope you love the recipe! xT
This recipe is LIFE CHANGING! I am not a picky eater and there aren’t many foods I dislike. If you asked my family what my least favorite food is, they wouldn’t bat an eye and they would tell you that I intensely despise Italian sausage. Normally, I would omit it, but I saw your recipe for makeshift Italian sausage and decided to give it a try. Since I was able to control the ingredients (particularly the fennel), I ended up with something I actually liked. The fact that it was chicken instead of pork was another plus. The meatballs turned out fantastic! I will use this recipe whenever I need Italian sausage. I added my own sauce and served this over roasted butternut squash zoodles. So good!
I
Hey Djienne,
Happy Wednesday! Lol thanks for your kind message:) I love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for making it!
Made this recipe using all ground beef through step 3 but cooked them all the way through, and then added them to a slightly altered version of your recent recipe “One Pot Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Burrata Pasta.” Oh my gosh, so good. I never seem to have luck with tasty meatballs that hold together and have great texture but this. is. it.
Love trying out all your recipes! Looking forward to making the original chicken version and adding all the cheesy goodness over some spaghetti squash pasta this fall.
Hey Azure,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a ton for making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad it was a winner:)
Are you kidding me?! These were stupid easy and SO delicious! I usually get tired of leftovers after the second day but im on day 4 and still want more! Can’t wait to freeze the rest and have them again. Thank you Tieghan for bringing joy into my day with these meatballs!
Hey Jessi,
Happy Monday!! LOL I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
These meatballs were soooo good!! I made my own chicken sausage per your instructions/recipe just because it was cheaper to buy ground chicken than ground chicken sausage. The homemade sausage was really good! Served these over some butter/garlic spaghetti noodles with a side of garlic bread and roasted green beans. Although, I may try them in a sub sandwich next time. I have been making a lot of your recipes lately and most of them, if not all, have been thoroughly enjoyed!
Hi Jodi,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT
Making this recipe tonight!! It smells amazing! Comes together so easily. Love all your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Sydney,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT
My family absolutely loved these and could not get over how flavorful they were! We would use 3/4 tsp of cayenne in the next batch. Thanks for another great recipe, Tieghan.
Hey Allison,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT
This was easy to make and delicious. Next level. Thank you for putting the recipe out to the universe. Much appreciated.
Kathy
Hey Kathy,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
This is an outstanding recipe. We use the instructions to make the sausage ourselves and it is perfect. It is so versatile. I am using the recipe to bring to friends for easy comfort food. If I make it ahead – all the way – and then freeze it, what do you recommend for reheat instructions? Your recipes are the best.
Hey Samantha,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a hit! I would make up until step 4 when you pour the marinara over the meatballs, cover and freeze. You can bake from frozen I would say 350F for 45-60 minutes. I hope this helps! Have a great weekend:) xx
This came together so easily, with ingredients I always have on hand! Served these over pasta & there was plenty of extra sauce. I’ll definitely put this into our regular rotation, thanks for another simple & delicious recipe Tieghan!
Hey Christine,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!!☀️ xTieghan
Made them for our family in Alaska while visiting, they loved them! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Karen,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I loved this recipe! I changed it up a bit by making it with what I had on hand- hot italian pork sausage and ground turkey. The cheese was a beautiful touch and looked amazing coming out of the oven, but got too thick for me as it cooled. I think next time, I’ll bake with a small amount of pecorino cheese and add more as necessary for serving. Without the cheese, this can be a very healthy meal! My whole family loved it and it was a great weeknight alternative to the suuuuuper time consuming task of making my Italian grandma’s Sunday Gravy 🙂
Hi Nina,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xT
I love how easy this was to adapt for someone cooking for 1 – i just used 1 lb of ground chicken and halved the recommended spice mix (it was a bit spicy for me, so I’d cut back on the cayenne next time) and got 3 servings of 3 good size meatballs out of it. I served them over pasta with garlicky green beans. It was a perfect comforting but easy weeknight meal!
Hey Lauren,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan