Make a cozy potato meatball casserole. It's a complete meal with the main dish, potatoes, and veggies all in one pot!
This potato meatball casserole has layers of potatoes, spinach, meatballs, and cheese all in one dish. It’s easy to make, with only a few simple steps, and no special cooking skills needed. A perfect meal for the whole family, it’s sure to be a favorite; the tasty meatballs and potatoes make it a comforting and filling dish.
And if dishes with meatballs included are your thing (definitely my thing), have a look at this turkey meatball casserole, these meatballs in tomato sauce, or this meatball stew with sauerkraut.
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Recipe ingredients
Potatoes: It is best to use semi-waxy or waxy potatoes, as they will keep their shape in the oven. Try Baked Cabbage and Potatoes, next!
Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen to make the potato meatballs casserole. You will need about 2 lbs/900 g; after you remove the stalks, slightly less will be left. Use the mature sort; baby spinach is unsuitable for making this potato meatball casserole.
- Frozen spinach can be used instead; in this case, you will need about 14 oz/ 400 g. Defrost it and squeeze it lightly to remove excess water.
Ground meat: I used lean ground beef, but ground pork or a mixture of ground beef and pork are perfectly ok, too. Ground turkey is another option.
Cheese: I usually use Cheddar or Gouda. However, feel free to use your favorite good-melting cheese, which you typically use for making casseroles.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make meatball potato casserole?
- Step #1: Cook the potatoes and let them cool slightly while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Peel and slice them into rather thick slices. Set them aside.
- Step #2: In the meantime, preheat the oven and make the meatballs.
- Step #3: Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and form 20-25 meatballs.
- Step #4: Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake them for 12-14 minutes.
- Step #5: Roughly chop the cleaned spinach and let it will in a large pan.
- Step #6: Add vegetable broth and garlic and saute until the liquid has cooked down.
- Step #7: Stir in crème fraiche or sour cream. Adjust the taste generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Step #8: Place the sliced potatoes in a buttered casserole dish. Cover them with spinach, arrange the meatballs on top, and cover them with grated cheese.
- Step #9: Bake the potato meatball casserole for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Use frozen spinach
If using frozen spinach, let it thaw, squeeze out excess water, and place it in the pan. Add vegetable broth and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes while stirring until most of the liquid evaporates. Then, stir in the dairy and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Try more bakes, such as Spinach Rice Casserole or Italian Spinach and Polenta Bake.
Store and reheat
Store leftover meatball potato casserole for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
I never recommend freezing anything containing potatoes because I don't like their texture once thawed. However, theoretically, you can freeze the potato and meatball casserole leftovers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
To reheat the potato meatball casserole, cover it with foil and bake at 350°F/175°C for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
To reheat in the microwave, cover and heat on medium for 2-4 minutes, checking and stirring until warmed through.
Potato Meatball Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs potatoes 650 g
- 1 lb ground beef 500 g, Note 1
- 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
- 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- a few grating of nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 lbs fresh spinach 900, or about 400 g/ 14 oz, frozen and thawed
- 6 garlic cloves separated
- ¾ cup vegetable broth 200 ml
- 2 heaped tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
- fine sea salt and black pepper
- 1 ½ cup grated cheese 150 g, Note 2
Instructions
Potatoes:
- Cook the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork-tender. Drain them and let them cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 1.5 lbs potatoes/ 650 g
- In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter a casserole dish. Prepare the meatballs.
Meatballs:
- Meatball mixture: Combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, and sweet paprika in a bowl. Add 2 grated garlic cloves, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix.1 lb ground beef/ 500 g + 3 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs + 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard + 1 egg + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika + 2 tablespoons chopped parsley + a few grating of nutmeg + 2 garlic cloves
- Form 20-25 meatballs, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes.
Spinach:
- Cook spinach: Remove the stalks of the spinach and chop it very roughly. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the spinach, and let it wilt shortly. Add the vegetable broth and the remaining 4 cloves of finely sliced garlic and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the spinach is cooked and most of the liquid has cooked down.2 lbs fresh spinach / 900 g + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 4 garlic cloves + ¾ cup vegetable broth/ 200 ml
- Stir in the crème fraiche or sour cream. Adjust the taste generously with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.2 heaped tablespoons crème fraiche + fine sea salt and black pepper
- If using frozen spinach, it should be thawed and squeezed slightly to remove the excess water. Place in the pan together with the broth and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the spinach is cooked and most of the liquid has cooked down. Add the dairy and spices as instructed above.
Assemble casserole dish:
- Layer ingredients: Peel and thickly slice the potatoes. Place them in the prepared casserole dish, add the spinach on top, arrange the meatballs over the spinach, and sprinkle everything with the freshly grated cheese.1 ½ cup grated cheese/ 150 g
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- Ground meat: You can use a mixture of beef and pork or ground turkey instead.
- Cheese: You can choose any good-melting cheese you like - the kind you typically use for casseroles. I often use Gouda or Cheddar.
Jennifer says
Hello Adina, this is so true. This family recipe of yours was REALLY yummy. After 30 minutes it wasn't heated thoroughly and the meatballs were slightly underdone, so I put it back for an additional 15 min. My family gave it a thumbs-up and asked me to make it again. My mom also uses the same recipes over and over again. It's not that she is a bad cook per se, she just lacks imagination and that's why she sticks to her "tried and trusted" recipes and seldom deviates from them. The one thing that she does that drives me absolutely crazy is the way she handles meat - it all has to be cremated! I think I started to learn to cook at a young age in self defence.
Adina says
🙂 🙂 I remember begging my grandma to cook something else for a change, the look of disbelief on her face... She could not even imagine that there was more good food in this world except for what she cooked! She asked, "What on Earth should I make??" and that was it!
Jennifer says
This is SO funny. I didn't know WHAT to make for dinner. I trawled through my freezer and fridge and found (somewhat old) fresh spinach and uncooked frozen meatballs. There were also 3 baked potatoes left over from yesterday. I wrapped the defrosted meatballs in the spinach leaves, sauteed some onions, bunged in a packet of roasted red pepper pesto, garlic, tinned, whole peeled tomatoes, some herbs and a few other bits and bobs and pureed everything. Sliced up the potatoes and put them round the side of the dish. Poured the sauce over the meatballs and sprinkled the cheese on top. It's in the oven now for 30 min at 180+ degrees. Then I came and googled my ingredients. I found this recipe of yours!one - it looks like challenged cooks think alike! Can't wait.
Adina says
So funny, Jennifer. Some really yummy recipes are born from cleaning out the fridge. 🙂
Zerrin says
Oh my! This casserole is right up to my alley! I'm sure my family will devour it.
grace says
i was surprised to see potatoes in this casserole, but it's a great idea! this looks like a hearty and nutritious meal. 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh wow! Your grandmother sounded like mine. Love how dreamy and delicious this spinach meatball potato casserole looks and sounds. This would surely make a lovely weekend meal.
Chris Scheuer says
Your grandmother sounds like she was quite a character and you have so many fun memories of her. I love that, although you definitely got her gene for cooking, you're willing to try so many new and interesting things! This dish looks wonderful.
GiGi says
Mmmmmm beef! I am so craving beeffffff right now!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Oh goodness, now THIS is how you casserole!!! Spinach, meatballs, potato and cheese ALL in one pan?! GIMME THAT! I could seriously eat this daily, girlfriend! Looks amazing! Cheers! <3
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
Your grandmother definitely seems quite traditional! Too funny about the sarmale recipe story!! If I make a recipe, like you, I'm not too particular of replicating exactly the same way the next time I make it. If I don't have an ingredient, I have no problem using a substitute or leaving it out; I guess that's one way of discovering new things, right? Plus, you kinda have to be a bit flexible in the kitchen, right? Use what you got, I say. This recipe looks delicious!! You can't go wrong with spinach, meatballs and a whole bunch of cheese if you ask me. And, then carby potatoes? I would have a hard time turning this one down 🙂
Sissi says
It looks like a perfect family weekday meal! And I bet it is good reheated too...
I think my grandmother was like that too... she never changed her dishes and even if she was happy to discover new food at other people's houses, she would never make anything new herself.