This Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake is heaven in a baking dish. It hits all the spots, its creamy, cheesy, tender, saucy and al dente. Complex textures and flavours all in one dish. I don’t know about you but my process for creating a recipe can be really long. Sometimes I spend months thinking about it, building it in my mind, cooking it, tasting it, seasoning it, even plating it. When its completely ready in my mind, thats when I put pen to paper and start writing the recipe.
Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake is dairy FREE?
To top it off, this cheesy meatball orzo bake recipe is completely diary free. Crazy right? how can cheesy meatballs be dairy free? Almost all my recipes are dairy free. Two years ago I developed a dairy allergy or sensitivity, I am undiagnosed so I am uncertain. The only thing for certain is that diary now makes me sick. So, what is a dairy loving girl to do? Find some alternatives to make the best of what you have. Surprisingly there are some really delicious vegan products that imitate cheese and some of your other diary products. You wont even miss it.
Ingredients for this Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake.
There are 18 ingredients in this Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake recipe. Is that a lot? maybe. For me it is, as I prefer to cook with a small list where possible. However, some recipes are more complex and layered so they require proper attention to flavour. Not to worry though, most of these ingredients, you’ll already have at home so lets focus on our core.
Meatballs: I went with beef mince because I prefer the fat to be included. This recipe is delicious, but by no means healthy. You can consider using lean ground beef if you prefer. This recipe can easily be substituted for chicken mince or pork mince, depending on your meat preference.
Pasta: I chose the orzo pasta because I wanted something different. When I bought it, I didn’t have this recipe in mind. I saw the pasta at the store and bought it with the intention of cooking with it one day. After thinking through this recipe I decided it would be good to move away from the classic spaghetti and use the orzo. It was the perfect pasta for the bake as it cooked evenly and maintained that al dente bite.
Cheese: So far the best vegan cheese I have had is the Daiya brand. I get an assortment of shredded Italian and cheddar cheeses as well as sliced, blocked or cream cheese. This one works for me because it tastes similar to the real cheese. With that said, I do limit how often I eat these alternatives because they can be very oily. However, everything in moderation.
Sauce: The sauce is key. Not just the type of sauce you buy but also the way spice it up. I prefer a balanced sauce where its not too tart but a good mix of tart and subtly sweet. A thick, fragrant and flavourful sauce is the best way to go.
Once you have these ingredients you can start raiding your pantry for the rest. So lets start cooking my Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake!
Cheesy Meatball Orzo Bake!
Course: EntreeDifficulty: Average3
servings20
minutes1
hourIngredients
0.6lbs Beef Mince
3/4 cup Mozzarella Vegan Cheese
3/4 cup ParmesanVegan Cheese
1 cup Orzo Pasta
24oz. Traditional Italian Sauce
1 Egg (Pantry Item)
1/2 cup Bread crumbs (Pantry Item)
1 tsp. Salt (Pantry Item)
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper (Pantry Item)
1 tsp. All purpose seasoning (Pantry Item)
1 Large Onion chopped (Pantry Item)
2 tbsp. Minced Garlic (Pantry Item)
1 Scotch Bonnet minced (Pantry Item)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Pantry Item)
1/2 tsp. Basil (Pantry Item)
1/2 tsp. Oregano (Pantry Item)
1/2 tsp. Sage (Pantry Item)
1 tsp. Sugar (Pantry Item)
Directions
- Season beef mince with salt, black pepper, all purpose, scotch bonnet, onion and garlic (only use half of the onion and garlic). Add the egg, breadcrumbs, cheese and mix well. Form meatballs and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large pan on medium to high heat then add olive oil. Brown meatballs on each side for a few minutes. Transfer Meatball from pan to casserole dish. Add the orzo pasta to the casserole dish.
- In the same pan that the meatballs were cooked, add remaining onions, garlic, pepper and sauté until fragrant. Pour the tomato sauce in the pan then add basil, oregano, sage and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Pour the sauce in the baking dish over the meatballs and completely cover the orzo. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese has melted.
- Serve hot with Garlic bread.