Meatball Bake

MarcaRelli 2024

I go to the supermarket almost every day and I buy only what I want for the day. I know that’s weird. I see most people with shopping carts overflowing with groceries and whatnots. They must be once-a-weekers. These people are planners. They do Taco Tuesdays and Fish on Fridays. For them grocery shopping is a chore. They heave those heavy shopping carts across parking lots to their cars and fill their trunks with seven or eight full bags, slam the lid closed and think to themselves “hey, at least it’s only once a week.”

Now I, on the other hand, am a very poor planner. I have no idea at breakfast time what I’m going to want for dinner, so I go to the market every day. And while I do go more often than the once-a-weekers I have some advantages they don’t. First, I don’t have to push heavy carts around. In fact I don’t need a cart at all if I don’t want one. I can use a carry basket – though I often use a cart because I don’t like to schlep. Second, I always have first crack at one-day-only price discounts. When grocery items get at or near their Sell By Dates grocery retailers will often put those items at deep discounts to move them out. As an every-dayer I have a 100 percent chance of getting that discounted item. Once-a-weekers only have a 1 in 7 chance (14 percent) of scoring that sale.

Recently I scored an 8 pack of Carando brand meatballs for $ 1.49 – fresh, not frozen. I bought 2 packs. Carando brand meatballs typically retail at $ 5.49 for the 8 pack (which is 16 ounces) so I saved $ 8.00 on those two packs. The next day they were gone. The once-a-weekers never had a chance.

Remember though that those deep discounts often means the item is at or near its sell by date which means it’s best to cook it the day you buy it or the very next day at least.

With the weather turning cooler I decided to let my oven do most of the work and so opted for a casserole type recipe which is easy to assemble. I had the meatballs so all I needed was tomato sauce and a couple of cheeses – and a spoon. We here in the Stew like Ragu brand jarred tomato sauce. Ragu puts out a line of no sugar added tomato sauces called Ragu Simply 8. We seek out no sugar added products as a general rule. Sugar is the enemy my friends. Oh and I grow my own basil. You should too.

Need This
– About 16 – 2 ounce (about the size of a golf ball) meatballs – fresh or frozen
– 1 – 24 ounce jar of Ragu Simply 8 tomato sauce or any brand you like.
– 1 – 15 ounce container of whole milk Ricotta Cheese (whatever is on sale)
– 1 – 8 ounce bag of shredded whole milk mozzarella.
– Dried oregano
– Fresh basil leaves.

Do This

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Break out your 15 x 9 1/2 inch Pyrex casserole dish (or whatever you have).

Open the jar of tomato sauce and dip a teaspoon in there.

Using the spoon line the bottom of the casserole dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce. Use the back of the spoon to spread it out evenly.

Assemble the meatballs in the tomato sauce lined casserole dish.

Rinse that teaspoon under water then open the container of Ricotta cheese.

Scoop out teaspoon-size blobs of Ricotta and drop them into the spaces in between the meatballs.

Rinse that teaspoon again then scoop out more tomato sauce and drizzle it back and forth over the meatballs and ricotta blobs.* Dust some dried oregano over the meatballs and cheese.

Pop the casserole dish into the oven and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

At the 30 minute mark check the casserole. Put on your oven mitts and remove the casserole. Stick a cooking thermometer into a meatball. It should register 160 degrees F.** If not, continue baking for another 10 minutes then check again.

When the meatballs are done remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella all over the top in an even layer. Put the dish back into the oven and turn the heat off. Let it sit in there until you are ready to serve.

Just before serving toss some fresh basil over the top.

Serve hot.

Serves 4. My Cost: Approx $ 8.33 total – about $ 2.08 per serving

* Don’t over do it with the tomato sauce. thin lines are better.

** If you don’t have a cooking thermometer – get one.