Meatball & Stuffing Bake

Note: Frozen meatballs make this a breeze to throw together, but if you're wanting some great basic homemade meatballs, try my go-to recipe right here, make extra and put some up in the freezer today!

Well now, I'm here to tell you that there ain't a meat-lovin' man in this country that won't eat this up quicker than the blink of an eye. It's a real family pleaser and I promise that this dish will disappear so quick, you'll barely remember makin' it! It's a super delicious casserole dish and something different to do with those pre-cooked, frozen meatballs that are common to the Angel Food Ministries boxes. The Hubs absolutely loves this dish - meat and stuffing? What is not to love??

I think that I got the idea for this from one of those Kraft Food & Family magazines awhile back. For my recipe I used the bagged Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned stuffing and added onion, celery and chicken stock, but you could substitute your own homemade stuffing recipe or even a box of good old Stove Top stuffing. Just follow the package directions and omit ingredients appropriately.

I usually do a half pan with only a single 1-pound package of meatballs, but this last time I made the full pan with 2 packages of meatballs and the leftovers were still gone in no time. You don't have to wait until Thanksgiving for stuffing ... though I guess technically since this isn't "stuffed" into anything, I suppose it's really more appropriately called dressing in this recipe. Oh who cares ... stuffing or dressing, or whatever you wanna call it, give this dish a spin and dig in. Truly kid and husband pleasin' ... it is really yummy!

Meatball & Stuffing Bake
Posted at http://deepsouthdish.com/

2 tablespoons of Land O'Lakes unsalted butter
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1/2 stalk of celery, chopped
1-1/4 cup of chicken stock
2-1/2 cups of Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned Stuffing
2 cans of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup of milk
2 (one pound) packages of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs
2 cups of frozen peas
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray an oblong baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.

Melt butter in a large saucepan and saute the onion and celery until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chicken stock. Add the stuffing and gently turn until fully coated with broth. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the soup and milk.

Add the meatballs to the baking dish, top with the frozen peas, and pour the soup mix on top. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, and top with the stuffing mixture. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until casserole is well heated through and bubbly. If you prefer your stuffing to have a crunchy top, cook uncovered and check dish at about 30 minutes.

*Substitute a boxed stuffing, such as StoveTop stuffing and prepare according to package directions, if desired.

Angel Food Ministries Box Ingredients: Precooked meatballs