FridgeToTable

What to Make With Frozen Meatballs: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners

Frozen meatballs are the backup bag for the night you cannot start from raw meat. They need heat all the way through, and they need a partner so the plate isn't only a meatball. Sauce and pasta, a sheet pan with potatoes, or a simple soup. Don't thaw them on the counter for hours. Cook them from frozen and check the center. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.

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Quick picks: 3 dinners with frozen meatballs in 30 minutes or less

Fastest option: a 20-minute dinner

20 min

Meatball soup

Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Frozen meatballs, onion, and noodles in a pot. A soft backup dinner.

Ingredients

  • 8 frozen meatballs
  • 1 onion
  • 1 cup egg noodles
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Soften the onion. Add the water, salt, and frozen meatballs.
  2. Simmer 10 minutes, then add the noodles.
  3. Cook until the noodles are tender and a meatball is hot through.
  4. Taste the broth. Meatballs can be very salty or not salty at all. The pot will tell you.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.

One-pan or sheet-pan option

30 min

Sheet-pan meatballs and potatoes

Total time, start to plate · One sheet pan · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Potato wedges start the pan. Frozen meatballs join them to heat through.

Ingredients

  • 12 frozen meatballs
  • 1 lb potatoes
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss potato wedges with oil and salt. Roast 12 minutes.
  2. Add the frozen meatballs in the gaps.
  3. Roast until the potatoes are tender and a meatball is hot in the center, about 15 minutes.
  4. Cut one open before dinner. Frozen centers are a common miss.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.

The other dinner

25 min

Meatballs and tomato pasta

Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly

Frozen meatballs simmer in tomato sauce while pasta boils, then they meet.

Ingredients

  • 12 frozen meatballs
  • 12 oz pasta
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Steps

  1. Put the frozen meatballs and tomato sauce in a pot. Cover and simmer until a meatball is hot in the center, about 15 minutes.
  2. Boil the pasta in salted water while the meatballs cook.
  3. Cut one meatball. If the center is cold, give them more time before you toss anything.
  4. Toss some sauce with the pasta. Taste the sauce. Jars vary from salty to dull.

Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.

Make it with leftovers

Once the meatballs are hot, leftovers reheat in the sauce. Don't boil them again until they fall apart. Frozen raw or precooked both exist. Read the bag. Precooked only need to get hot. Raw-in-the-middle need the full time.

More dinners from leftovers

Pantry staples you'll need

  • Salt
  • Tomato sauce
  • Pasta
  • Oil
  • Onion

No pasta: potatoes on the sheet pan. No meatballs: ground beef and pasta is the from-scratch cousin. If the bag is sausage meatballs, the sausage pages are the other mood.

When there is nothing in the fridge

Picky-eater and healthy tweaks

Meatballs and buttered noodles, sauce on the side. Cut a meatball in half for a small child so you can see it is hot in the center. Skip spicy sauce.

A few meatballs and a lot of pasta or potato is the balance. You don't need extra oil if the bag is already rich. Tomato sauce beats a second round of cheese, unless the cheese is what gets the plate finished.

More dinners in under 30 minutes

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Related dinners

More dinners with ground beef

Questions

What can I make with frozen meatballs in 20 minutes?

Meatball soup takes 20 minutes, start to plate. Frozen meatballs, onion, and noodles in a pot. A soft backup dinner.

What's the easiest dinner with frozen meatballs?

Meatballs and tomato pasta is the low-fuss one: one pot, 25 minutes. Frozen meatballs simmer in tomato sauce while pasta boils, then they meet.

Can I make this with leftover or cooked frozen meatballs?

Once the meatballs are hot, leftovers reheat in the sauce. Don't boil them again until they fall apart. Frozen raw or precooked both exist. Read the bag. Precooked only need to get hot. Raw-in-the-middle need the full time.

What else can I add to frozen meatballs for a full meal?

The cards already use frozen meatballs, pasta, tomato sauce. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.

Is frozen meatballs a healthy dinner?

A few meatballs and a lot of pasta or potato is the balance. You don't need extra oil if the bag is already rich. Tomato sauce beats a second round of cheese, unless the cheese is what gets the plate finished.

How do I make frozen meatballs kid-friendly?

Meatballs and buttered noodles, sauce on the side. Cut a meatball in half for a small child so you can see it is hot in the center. Skip spicy sauce.

Can I make frozen meatballs in one pan or a sheet pan?

Sheet-pan meatballs and potatoes uses one sheet pan and takes 30 minutes. Potato wedges start the pan. Frozen meatballs join them to heat through.

What if I don't have the second ingredient?

No pasta: potatoes on the sheet pan. No meatballs: ground beef and pasta is the from-scratch cousin. If the bag is sausage meatballs, the sausage pages are the other mood.