I Guarantee This Is the Easiest Dinner You'll Make All Month

One time, when I was younger (maybe about 14 years old? Yeah, let’s say I was 14), my mom was teaching her brother (my uncle) how to cook some basic dishes. This particular afternoon, she taught him how to steam a pot of rice and cook delicious, saucy meatballs. Never one to let food go to waste, my mom served us the meatballs over rice for dinner. What she viewed as a one-off meal of convenience had actually imprinted on my brain as one of my new favorite food combinations.

From then on, whenever she would start making meatballs, I’d ask — full of hope and anticipation — if we were having them over rice. (Reader, we weren’t.) The rest of my family preferred them the “normal” way (over pasta). Every so often, my mom would make the meatballs with rice as a gesture, but mostly it was with noodles — which, by the way, is a totally delicious, classic, and fine thing to do.

But now I’m an adult who gets to do whatever I want, and I want meatballs with rice. To take it a step further, I only want to dirty one pan and I don’t want to do any work (or at least as little as possible). That’s where this casserole comes in.

You stir together uncooked rice, your favorite marinara sauce, and thawed frozen spinach in a skillet or baking dish. Then you dump in a bag of frozen store-bought meatballs. If you have some frozen homemade meatballs on hand, you can absolutely use those instead. Cover and bake until the rice is perfectly cooked (a great opportunity to log some cozy couch time or do a chore you’ve been avoiding). Then sprinkle the whole thing with Parm and mozzarella cheese, put it under the broiler until ooey-gooey, and dig in.

Why You’ll Love It

• It couldn’t be easier! Dump your ingredients in a skillet, cover, and bake — no fuss needed.

• It’s extra-cheesy. Top rice and frozen meatballs with a generous layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for an ooey-gooey cheese pull with every serving.

• Sneaky vegetables. Stirred in frozen spinach bulks up the nutrients, but fades away into the sauce during baking so no one’s the wiser.

Key Ingredients in One-Pan Meatballs & Rice

• Meatballs: This recipe calls for frozen, store-bought meatballs, but you can also use homemade frozen meatballs (raw or cooked) in their place as long as they aren’t too big (ideally, close to 1 1/2 inches in diameter).

• Rice: Any long-grain white rice you like will do. While baking, the rice will absorb the added water and some of the excess moisture from the spinach and marinara sauce.

• Spinach: Thawed frozen spinach adds a boost of veggies, but it also just sort of fades into the sauce (an ideal situation if you’re not a big fan of greens).

• Marinara sauce: This recipe calls for jarred marinara — just pick your favorite (mine is Rao’s). You could also use homemade, if you prefer.

• Cheese: Grated Parmesan adds a nutty, umami boost, while shredded mozzarella gives the casserole a top layer of gooey browned cheese.

• Optional toppings: If you have them on hand, I like to sprinkle the casserole with chopped fresh parsley for a little pop of freshness and red pepper flakes for a hint of heat. That said, neither is required for a delicious dinner.

One-Pan Meatballs & Rice Recipe

A jar of marinara does it again.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) container frozen cut spinach, thawed

• Olive oil, for greasing

• 1 (about 24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)

• 1 cup long-grain white rice

• 3/4 cup water

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided, plus more for sprinkling

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 (about 26-ounce) bag frozen cooked meatballs

• 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

• Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

• Red pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

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1. Heat the oven to 400ºF. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish or large 12-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) with olive oil.

2. Place 1 (10-ounce) container thawed frozen cut spinach (including any juices), 1 (about 24-ounce) jar marinara sauce, 1 cup long-grain white rice, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in the baking dish. Stir until combined and spread into an even layer.

3. Arrange 1 (about 26-ounce) bag frozen meatballs over the rice mixture. Cover the baking dish tightly in aluminum foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 60 to 70 minutes.

4. Switch the oven to broil. Uncover the baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Return to the oven and broil uncovered until the cheeses are melted and starting to brown in spots, 2 to 4 minutes. Top with more grated Parmesan. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and red pepper flakes if desired.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.