Sheet Pan Meatball Dinner Recipe with Buttered Orzo

This delicious meatball dinner recipe is ready in 30 minutes, and super simple to pull together. I love meatball dinner ideas like this one because they combine all the dinner components you need in one meal – protein, vegetables, carbs, and flavor! All roasted up together and served over a bed of (super simple, but always a favorite) buttered orzo.

If you came here looking for dinner recipes with frozen meatballs, this is the one to try. Be sure to tag me when you make it, I love to see your creations! And if you’ve made it, will you please leave it a ⭐️ rating? It helps me out a ton!❤️

How to Make Sheet Pan Roasted Meatball Dinner:

When you’re looking for meal ideas for meatballs, I’ve got you! You may know that I LOVE sheet pan dinners because they are SO simple to throw together, then you let the oven do the work and you can do something else while it bakes. (Read, workout, prep something else, etc.) Here’s how to make it!

• Season tomatoes. Combine the frozen meatballs and tomatoes on a rimmed half sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.

NOTE: We’re not seasoning with salt as the meatballs are already seasoned and we can add more salt at the end.

• Roast meatballs. Roast the meatballs until they are heated through and the tomatoes have burst.

• Make buttered orzo. Cook orzo according to package instructions, stir in butter to coat and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Serve. Toss arugula with meatballs and tomatoes and serve mixture over buttered orzo. Season with more Parmesan, salt to taste, red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper.

Meatball Dinner Recipes FAQs:

What kind of meatballs can I use?

You can use your favorite frozen meatballs for meatball dinner ideas like this one. I choose to use an Italian-flavored beef meatball, but feel free to use your favorite.

Can you cook frozen meatballs from frozen?

Yes, you can – and you should! Most frozen meatballs are best cooked right from the freezer.

How long does it take to cook frozen meatballs?

Most frozen meatballs are already cooked, so they just need to reheat until hot, which usually takes between 20-30 minutes. Be sure to check your package for specific cooking instructions as it will vary by brand and meatball size.

How to Store Leftover Italian Meatball Dinner:

Store the leftover meatball dinner recipe in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, keeping orzo separate from the meatballs.

Reheat in the microwave or a hot skillet until heated through.

How to Serve Easy Meatball Dinner to the Whole Family:

This is a great example of one family dinner, that can be served a little bit separately for various members of the family.

If your kids are anything like mine (and say, “I don’t want salad!” hehe), you can serve the arugula separately or even as a salad, instead of mixing it with the meatballs. And instead of serving the roasted meatballs ON the orzo, serve it on the side.

You are providing vegetable, carb, and protein components. Then let your kids decide what to eat off of their plate. And if they aren’t big fans of meatballs or vegetables or pasta (WHAT!?), serve this meatball dinner recipe with some fruit, milk, and/or bread on the side.

Roasted Meatball Dinner Nutrition + Substitutes:

If you want to swap out any of the ingredients and toppings, here are a few ways you can add even more nutrition into this meal:

• MORE arugula. If you serve the arugula with the meatballs, it will wilt, so you can use a lot more than you might if you serve it as a salad. Or serve it both ways.
• Turkey meatballs. I recommend choosing the meatballs you like best, but sometimes turkey meatballs will be a little lighter in fat and calories if that’s important to you. You can also make my turkey and quinoa meatballs, they are naturally gluten-free and work with any flavors.
• Different pasta. Whether you’re looking for a gluten-free pasta option, or want to skip the pasta all together, you could use a brown rice pasta, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice instead of the orzo. I recommend topping it with some butter and grated Parmesan for maximum flavor.

More Easy Weeknight Sheet Pan Dinner Recipes:

If you like this meatball dinner idea, you might also like some of my other easy sheet pan dinner recipes:

• Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers – Classic Italian flavors, just like this meatball dinner idea! Ready in less than 30 minutes.
• Trader Joe’s Sheet Pan Cauliflower Gnocchi – This simple meal is for the Trader Joe’s fans! Just 5 TJ ingredients and 5 minutes to prep.
• Kielbasa + Pierogies Sheet Pan Dinner – This is a MUST! Just 6 ingredients with protein, veggies, and carbs.
• Sheet Pan Baked Gnocchi – Once you try baking gnocchi, you’ll never go back. Only 10 minutes to prep.
• Chicken Sausage + Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner – Just 6 ingredients to make this balanced meal that can be made with any flavor of chicken sausage, use your favorite.

Helpful Tools to Make Sheet Pan Meatball Dinner Recipe:

• Half Sheet Pan – These rimmed sheet pans are the perfect size for meatball dinner ideas like this one. They clean up really nicely too!
• Glass Storage Containers – Store any leftover meatball dinner recipe in these handy containers that can go from refrigerator to microwave.

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