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.
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!
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.
I hope you enjoy it, too!
Meatball Casserole
Recipe slightly adapted from Publix Aprons Meatball Casserole
Serves: 6
Prep + Cook Time: 25 minutes
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)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cut baguette into one-inch-thick slices and arrange in baking dish, packing tightly to fit.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve and enjoy!
Did you find your turkey meatballs at Publix? I wasn’t able to find them there last weekend so I got beef instead 🙁
Robin(Quote)
Yes! Beef will still work! 🙂
Julie(Quote)
Julie, do you think ricotta cheese would work in place of the goat cheese?
Robin(Quote)
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!
Gilly(Quote)
so glad you enjoyed it! thanks for giving it a try, gilly!
Julie(Quote)
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?
Adam Trainor(Quote)
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!
Shawna(Quote)