If you have a picky eater at your dinner table, you’re willing to bet on the correct answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?” The family will not quarrel because “meatballs” are included. Luckily, there are over a dozen ways to serve meatballs, so no one will ever get bored. Instead of the usual spaghetti and meatballs, try Baked His Ziti with Meatballs or Meatball Pasta His Bake for a super cheesy dinner made straight from your most reliable casserole dish. You can also swap out the expected Italian flavors for Greek meatballs with cucumber yogurt sauce or Swedish meatballs. Of course, meatballs are not just a main dish. With recipes like Meatball Sliders and Slow Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs, these bite-sized delicious dishes are an all-star for appetizers. Whether you’re looking for a store-bought shortcut using frozen meatballs or want to try meatballs from scratch, we’ve got hearty, comforting recipes to satisfy. Put these recipes on the table and everyone will be excited.
Hector Sanchez.Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Whenever you’re serving appetizers to a crowd, you can always rely on your trusty slow cooker to whip up a batch of warm, crowd-pleasing dishes.
Photo: Hector Sanchez
This easy take on Italian wedding soup uses frozen turkey meatballs for a time-saving, healthy twist.
Victor Protasio. Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer.Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This creamy and hearty recipe tastes just like Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house. Wide egg noodles are the perfect way to get as much of that decadent sauce on your fork as possible.
Hector Sanchez.Styling: Heather Chadak Hillegas
We processed store-bought marinara to add a bright, flavorful sauce to this cheesy pasta bake recipe. “This is a family favorite. My kids love it,” writes a five-star reviewer.
Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Kathleen Varner
Although we’ve replaced the classic grape jelly ingredients with a festive, seasonal, upscale version of cranberry sauce and pepper jelly, this recipe is just as easy as the original.
Greg Dupree
From salads to pita pockets, this light and bright meal can be arranged in many fun ways for lunch or dinner. “These were great,” wrote a reviewer who left five stars. “I’ve been trying out a lot of meatball recipes and was looking for something different. These fit the bill.”
Victor Protasio. Food Styling: Emily Neighbors Hall.Prop styling: Christine Keeley
Instead of breading and frying chicken cutlets, these meatballs bring classic chicken parmesan flavor with less effort and hands-on time. Serve over whatever pasta you have on hand or make your own meatball sub.
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
We love finding new ways to use our favorite Instant Pot, like this classic spaghetti or homemade meatballs. Tip from the Test Kitchen: After cooking the meatballs, don’t toss the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. It adds flavor to the rest of the recipe.
Caitlin Bensel.Food Styling: Ali Lamy; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland
“Growing up, I couldn’t get enough of these things, and I was shocked to learn that the secret to their deliciousness was none other than grape jelly,” said senior producer Ivy Odom. say. “This is one of the easiest appetizer recipes he’s ever made, so it’s a must.”
jennifer davic
With just 5 ingredients, you can make a quick appetizer. Warm it up in the slow cooker for easy serving during the party.
Company is coming! Every Southern host is sure to have this saucy appetizer meatball recipe on hand.
Jennifer Causey. Prop styling: Ginny Blanche Stelling.Food Styling: Emily Neighbors Hall
We’ve put a little Southern spin on an Italian-American recipe to create a comforting, light soup recipe that’s ready in just 45 minutes.
Antonis Achilles. Prop styling: Christine Keeley.Food Styling: Emily Neighbors Hall
“This was a huge hit with my teenage sons. It’s a great recipe exactly as written, but I love that it’s easy to customize to suit your family’s likes and dislikes,” says one 5-star reviewer. I am writing. I used bottled marinara and frozen meatballs as a shortcut, but you can of course substitute homemade.
Caitlin Bensel.Food Styling: Tory Cox
“This two-ingredient appetizer was the first to go at my housewarming party,” writes Carla Walsh. “Next time you’re not sure what’s missing from your appetizer menu, may I suggest you try the bowl first?”
