Making meals using precooked frozen meatballs from the store is a great way to save time. Part of the work is already done for you! There are so many different meals you can make using just this one protein.
I like to save even more time by making these recipes with frozen meatballs as freezer meals and making a lot at one time. It’s super easy to just dump the meatballs in your freezer bags, add the sauces and any other necessary ingredients, and get many meals done at once.
You can watch how easy it is to make many meatball recipes at one time in this popular video of ours.
Sheet Pan Sweet and Sour Meatballs
This delicious Sheet Pan Sweet and Sour Meatballs meal is an all-in-one dinner that is not only easy to make but because it all cooks up on one pan, it’s also easy clean-up.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Sheet Pan Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds frozen meatballs, pre-cooked
- 1 cup green beans, frozen
- 1 onion, sliced
- 14 ounces pineapple slices, drained
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
Assembly Instructions:
- Place the meatballs, green beans, onion, and pineapple slices in a large resealable bag.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour. Stir in the vinegar, water, soy sauce, and ketchup.
- Pour the sauce mixture into the bag with the meatballs. Squish the ingredients to combine the sauce, meatballs, and vegetables. Remove excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking Instructions:
- Transfer the frozen ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw.
- Spread all of the ingredients in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
How Long Can You Freeze Sweet and Sour Meatballs?
After preparing your sweet and sour meatballs ingredients, you can store the meal in the freezer for up to three months. To ensure you enjoy your sheet pan dinner before it expires, make sure to label your freezer container with the name of the recipe, date of freezing and expected expiration date.
What Type of Meatballs Should I Use for Sweet and Sour Meatballs?
Since this dinner is made with frozen meatballs, it’s important to know what style of meatballs is best for this particular recipe. While Italian style meatballs are great for pasta dishes, the Italian seasoning and herbs used in this variety won’t blend well with the sweet and sour sauce.
Instead of choosing Italian meatballs, look for “homestyle” meatballs. This variety is made with neutral seasoning, which matches perfectly with the rest of ingredients in this recipe. If you can’t find meatballs labeled “homestyle,” simply check the ingredient list on the package to see what type of seasoning is used. Avoid options made with Italian style ingredients, like oregano and basil, which may clash with the sweet and sour ingredients in the sauce.
How Do You Store Leftover Sweet and Sour Meatballs?
Once you’re finished enjoying your meatball dinner, you can store your leftovers in the refrigerator. Transfer the cooked ingredients to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days.
Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave, oven or over low heat in a small skillet.
Sweet and Sour Meatballs Recipe Ideas
Your family is going to love the delicious combination of sweet and sour sauce with meatballs in this dinner. But if you’re looking for ways to change up this recipe, check out these easy substitutions and adjustments to try.
- Serve over rice or pasta. This simple sheet pan meal can be served as a dinner all on its own. But if you want to bulk up the meal a little more, try serving the sheet pan ingredients over white rice or cooked pasta. You can prepare the rice or pasta while the meatballs are cooking in the oven for a quick and easy addition to your dinner.
- Add more veggies. The combination of pineapple, green beans, and onions makes the perfect meal for your family. If you want to add even more flavor to your dinner, try mixing in a few more veggies before freezing the meal. You can add sliced bell peppers, corn, sliced carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas.
- Make your own meatballs. Using pre-cooked frozen meatballs is a great way to speed up the prep work on this quick sheet pan dinner. But if you have some extra time on prep day, you can also make your own meatballs from scratch. Just prepare the meatballs according to the recipe, cook them, and allow them to cool completely. After that, you can transfer the cooled meatballs to the bag with the rest of the ingredients and follow the instructions in this recipe for freezing and reheating.
- Reheat in the slow cooker. If you have some extra time to cook your meal, try reheating your sweet and sour meatballs in your crockpot. Just transfer the thawed ingredients to the bowl of your slow cooker and cook them on low for six to eight hours.
- Serve as appetizers. With the help of some toothpicks, this quick sheet pan dinner also makes a great appetizer. Just stack a pineapple chunk and green bean on top of a cooked meatball, add a toothpick, and serve as bite-sized snacks at your next party.
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Easy Meatball Subs Recipe
When it comes to finding family friendly dinner ideas, you can’t go wrong with meatballs! And with this easy meatball subs recipe, you can prepare a batch of delicious sandwiches for your family with just a few minutes of prep work. All you have to do is prep the ingredients, then store this in your freezer until you’re ready to cook your sandwiches.
Ingredients:
- 32 ounces frozen Italian style meatballs (approximately 24 meatballs)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 ounces pasta sauce (we use our Red Sauce)
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 2 baguettes
- 1 cup garlic butter, softened
Assembly Instructions:
- Combine the meatballs with the garlic, Italian seasoning, and pasta sauce in a large resealable freezer bag.
- Squeeze the bag to mix up the ingredients, then remove excess air from the bag, and seal it.
- Place the mozzarella cheese in a separate medium freezer bag. Staple the small bag to the large bag above the seal.
- Slice the baguettes lengthwise and spread half the garlic butter along the inside of each loaf. Place the loaves back together and cut each one in thirds cross-wise. Transfer the bread to large resealable freezer bags.
- Place the bags in the freezer until you’re ready to cook your meatball subs.
Cooking instructions:
- Transfer the sub ingredients to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Pour the contents of the bag of meatballs into the bowl of a slow cooker. Set the crockpot to cook on low for five to seven hours.
- When ready to serve, place the garlic bread butter side up on a baking dish. Cook under the broiler until toasted.
- Arrange the cooked meatballs on one side of the bread and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Place the subs back under the broiler until the cheese is melted, then place the other bread half on top to serve.
What Do You Put on Meatball Subs?
The best part about making your own meatball subs at home is that you can customize your sandwiches with your favorite toppings. As you’re preparing your own subs, try these topping ideas:
- Cheese. In addition to mozzarella cheese, you can also top your sandwich with provolone or parmesan for even more Italian flavor.
- Vegetables. Add some veggies to your meatball subs for added crunch. Top your subs with sliced bell peppers, onions, or mushrooms. Or add some pickled veggies, like pepperoncini or banana peppers, for some added spice.
- Herbs. Give your sandwiches some fresh flavor with the help of fresh herbs. Try topping your meatballs with fresh basil, parsley, or oregano.
What to Serve with Meatball Sub Sandwiches?
These quick and easy sandwiches are the perfect main course for dinner! Serve them with some of these side dish ideas to round out your meal:
- Side salads
- Soup
- Pasta salad
- French fries or tater tots
- Potato chips
