Peanut Butter Fingers

Living a Life Fueled by Healthy Food and Fitness

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Who’s Who
    • All About NASM
    • Disclaimer
    • Wedding
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Pregnancy
  • Baby
  • Shop + Favs
    • Blogging
    • Books
  • Travel
    • Orlando & Florida
    • Blog Travel

Lightened Up Meatball Casserole

September 29, 2013 by Julie 71 Comments

It finally happened. I’ve become buddies with the free sample lady at Publix.

Whenever she sees me coming, she already has my little plate waiting for me and we inevitably end up chatting for at least five minutes about the latest Publix Aprons recipe. She asks me if I’ve made any of her recipes at home recently and I gush over how much we loved the date night chicken or some other fabulous dish.

Meatball Casserole

For those of you who don’t live in the southeast United States or are unfamiliar with Publix, the grocery store frequently features samples of recipes they create. One person makes the entire recipe in the middle of the grocery store and then offers bites of it to people as they walk by. I’m never one to shy away from samples, so I always take one and am often impressed with just how delicious the recipes are and end up making them at home all the time. Publix, your plan is working!

Lightened Up Meatball Casserole

Today’s recipe is a lightened up version of Publix’s meatball casserole. It’s simple to make and was a big hit in our house.

Light Meatball Sub Casserole

I hope you enjoy it, too!

Print

Lightened Up Meatball Casserole

  • Author: Julie (PB Fingers)
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Category: chicken/turkey recipes, dinner, lunch/dinner recipes, recipes
  • Cuisine: dinner
Print
Pin

Description

Today’s recipe is a lightened up version of Publix’s meatball casserole. It’s simple to make and was a big hit in our house.


Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) whole wheat baguette
  • 15 – 18 frozen all-natural turkey meatballs
  • 2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese (I used Chavrie original goat cheese)
  • 1/2 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 18 ounces marinara sauce (3/4 of a standard 24-ounce jar)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cut baguette into one-inch-thick slices and arrange in baking dish, packing tightly to fit.
  3. Combine goat cheese, Greek yogurt and spices and spread mixture over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 6 – 7 minutes until cheese bubbles.
  4. Cook meatballs according to package microwave directions. Stir marinara sauce into meatballs and pour on top of cheesy bread. Top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and bake 5 – 7 minutes until cheese melts and sauce is hot.
  5. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Publix Aprons Meatball Casserole.

Keywords: casserole, meatball casserole, meatballs, Publix, Publix's Apron's, recipes, turkey meatballs

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pbfingers on Instagram

 

Light Meatball Casserole

Be sure to follow PBFingers on Instagram and Facebook!

I'd love to connect with you! I am always so grateful when you let me know you tried one of my recipes or workouts and tag me in your photos or updates. Thank you so much!!!

Filed Under: Chicken/Turkey Recipes, Dinner, Lunch/Dinner Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: casserole, meatball casserole, meatballs, Publix, Publix Apron's, Recipes, turkey meatballs

About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

« Gatineau Park and Nordik Spa
A Sadie-centric Weekend »

Comments

  1. Robin says

    February 3, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    Did you find your turkey meatballs at Publix? I wasn’t able to find them there last weekend so I got beef instead 🙁

    Reply
    • Julie says

      February 3, 2014 at 6:16 pm

      Yes! Beef will still work! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Robin says

    February 15, 2014 at 9:59 pm

    Julie, do you think ricotta cheese would work in place of the goat cheese?

    Reply
  3. Gilly says

    January 2, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    Made this last night and it was delicious! Unfortunately we couldn’t find whole wheat baguettes so we used white and I don’t have a 9 inch pan so I used my smaller 8×8. We also used the Chavrie with sweet basil…holy flavor batman! I was so skeptical about this recipe but because of reviews I tried it. Hubby and I both loved it! I will definitely make it again but with some modifications. I don’t see the need for the cup of mozzarella on top of the goat cheese. Hubby and I both felt it didn’t add anything. I’m also going to try some lighter cheeses in place of the goat cheese and see if it sacrifices the flavor. Thank you for this recipe. Great idea!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      January 2, 2015 at 6:54 pm

      so glad you enjoyed it! thanks for giving it a try, gilly!

      Reply
  4. Adam Trainor says

    June 20, 2015 at 6:04 am

    I’ve always wanted to try something new with meatballs but I just never knew what to do. I’ve searched different recipes and none never caught my eye until I came across your blog and saw this recipe. I am just fed up of the usual meatballs in a tomato sauce. It looks and sounds delicious! When I read the ingredients list and I saw whole wheat baguette I just thought it was going to be used as a side dish like garlic bread to enjoy with the meatballs not to put inside the dish! This has made me want to try it even more now. Does the yogurt have to be added? Is it to give a creamy texture?

    Reply
  5. Shawna says

    June 2, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    Yum! I tried this recipe tonight, and it is fantastic. It all baked together nicely into a casserole and is so melty and delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be checking your page for new recipes regularly!

    Reply
« Older Comments

Trackbacks

  1. Breaking the rules! says:
    June 12, 2014 at 10:57 am

    […] made some meals for two families in our neighborhood who just delivered. For both families, I made Julie’s Lightened Up Meatball Casserole and they loved it! It was so easy making a triple batch (one for our family’s dinner as […]

    Reply
  2. Easy, Healthy Casserole Recipes - Health News and Views - Health.com says:
    October 20, 2014 at 6:44 pm

    […] Lightened Up Meatball Casserole: This recipe from the blog Peanut Butter Fingers might sound high in calories, but it’s far from that since it’s been lightened up with turkey meatballs, part-skim mozzarella, goat cheese, and fat-free Greek yogurt. […]

    Reply
  3. 9 Quick and Easy Make-Ahead Casseroles | one SMART pigeon says:
    October 20, 2014 at 6:48 pm

    […] Lightened Up Meatball Casserole: This recipe from the blog Peanut Butter Fingers might sound high in calories, but it’s far from that since it’s been lightened up with turkey meatballs, part-skim mozzarella, goat cheese, and fat-free Greek yogurt. […]

    Reply
  4. 9 Quick and Easy Make-Ahead Casseroles | World Everyday News says:
    October 20, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    […] Lightened Up Meatball Casserole This recipe from the blog Peanut Butter Fingers might sound high in calories, but it’s far from that since it’s been lightened up with turkey meatballs, part-skim mozzarella, goat cheese, and fat-free Greek yogurt. […]

    Reply
  5. 9 Quick and Easy Make-Ahead Casseroles says:
    October 21, 2014 at 8:43 am

    […] Lightened Up Meatball Casserole This recipe from the blog Peanut Butter Fingers might sound high in calories, but it’s far from that since it’s been lightened up with turkey meatballs, part-skim mozzarella, goat cheese, and fat-free Greek yogurt. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Hi! I’m Julie and I am a mom to two energetic boys and a personal trainer and blogger living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Welcome to my blog! Peanut Butter Fingers follows my life and my interests in food, fitness, family, travel and (mostly) healthy living.
NEVER MISS A POST!
FacebookTwitterInstagramPinterestBloglovin
Follow

Search

Instagram post 2193655309847019162_40044681 Busted out of the house last night for a Las Vegas themed holiday party! 🎉 Name that movie! 🐯👶🏻 #tigerslovepepper #babycarlos
Instagram post 2191873802065169562_40044681 Slow Cooker Holiday Mulled Wine: The simple, low-maintenance, crowd-pleasing holiday beverage you've been looking for to make for your next holiday party! 🍷✨ This is my go-to recipe because it's warm and comforting and just sweet and cinnamon-y enough to feel like a festive holiday drink. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Here are the steps:⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Throw everything into a slow cooker⁠⠀
Allow mulled wine to warm up on “low” for an hour⁠⠀
Reduce to “warm” and top with a sprinkle of thinly-sliced oranges and cranberries⁠⠀
Walk away and enjoy your party⁠⠀
⁠⠀
And the ingredient list is simple, too! Find the full recipe on the blog here: https://www.pbfingers.com/slow-cooker-holiday-mulled-wine/⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Oh and please do not feel the need to splurge on an expensive red wine for this recipe! I once had a sommelier friend of mine tell me that when it comes to making mulled wine, simply choose a red wine you like to drink. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but it simply has to appeal to you without all of the added ingredients that morph it into a deliciously sweet holiday favorite. For this batch, I made the Slow Cooker Holiday Mulled Wine with a $6.99 bottle of Wellsley Farms’ Cabernet Sauvignon from @bjswholesale. Once you pour it into the slow cooker and fancy it up with thinly-sliced oranges 🍊 and pops of cranberry, no one will know you used a bottle of wine that cost less than $7 in the recipe anyway! Enjoy!!! #ad #mulledwine #holidaydrinks #holidayrecipes #slowcooker
Instagram post 2188890373237382457_40044681 Christmas magic begins! 🎄💫
Instagram post 2188654049733389965_40044681 I know you don’t get to choose your family but if you did, I’d choose this bunch over and over again. 💚 Another great family mountain vacation in the books! 🍁🍂

Beauty Favorites

Items I Swear By

Shop My Toddler Essentials

Shop My Baby Essentials

check out my ebook for meal planning help!

Dinner Made Easy: A Healthy Meal Planning Guide

Quick Links

  • Favorite Posts
  • Recipe Index
  • Workouts
  • Fashion
  • Pregnancy/Baby
  • Family

Recent Posts

  • ‘Round Here
  • PBF Gift Guide 2019: For Her
  • Things I’m Loving Friday #304
  • PBF Gift Guide 2019: Kids
  • Family Mountain Vacation 2019

Categories

Archives

Disclaimer

I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

Affiliates

Please note that affiliate links may pop up on PBF from time to time. I greatly appreciate your support!

Copyright � 2013 Peanut Butter Fingers / Julie Fagan. All Rights Reserved.
Blog Designed by SWOON CREATIVE