New Recipe: Meatball Sub Casserole

Here is another new recipe from another new cook book! Husband is beginning to wish he hadn't gotten me so many cook books because, he says, he's been eating like crazy. And he did eat this recipe like crazy...two helpings and then picked more out of the casserole dish until I yelled at him. I can't blame him, I loved it too and I've never been a big fan of meatball subs.

Yum.

Meatball Sub Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices
• 1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 - 1lb package frozen meatballs, thawed
• 28 oz. jar pasta sauce
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan; set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, and seasonings; spread over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside.
3. Gently mix together meatballs, spaghetti sauce, and water; spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Recipe Source: Gooseberry Patch

Notes/Suggestions:

• This may come as a shock, but I didn't follow this recipe exactly. I added more mozzarella cheese. I also added some grated Parmesan cheese in the cream cheese/mayonnaise layer. Making an "Italian" dish without Parmesan cheese just seemed wrong.
• I left out the Italian seasonings. I can't stand oregano.
• I couldn't find a 1 lb bag of meatballs. The store where I was shopping only had a 2 lb bag. So I just used one of my bigger casserole pans and upped the amount of sauce to 2 jars.
• Since I made a bigger casserole, I baked it at 375 instead of 350.
• I left out the water...that seemed like a weird ingredient.
• After all my modifications...it turned out great! Great meal for any night of the week served with a good salad.

ENJOY!