This dish is delicious and healthy whether you make it with chicken or beef meatballs. And you can also swap out the Alfredo for Marinara if you prefer. Either way its an easy to assemble meal and filling and delicious!
Equipment
oven safe baking dish (9x13)
Ingredients
1pkgFrozen cut spinach10 ounce, thawed
Olive oilfor greasing the baking dish
1jarAlfredo (about 3 cups)24 ounces, or homemade
2cupsLong-Grain White Rice
2cupsWhole Milk
3/4cupChicken broth
1/2cupParmesan Cheesegrated (save some for sprinkling)
1/2teaspoonKosher Salt
1bagFrozen Cooked Meatballs26 ounces
4cupsMozzarella cheese
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
Place thawed spinach (including any juices), alfredo sauce, 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, 2 cups of mozzarella and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in the baking dish. Stir until combined and spread into an even layer.
Place the meatballs over the rice, then cover the baked dish with aluminum foil.
Bake until the rice is tender, this will be about 60 to 70 minutes.
Remove the baking dish, and remove the foil from the top. Then switch the oven to broil. On top of the rice and meatballs in the dish, sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Return to the oven and broil uncovered until the cheeses are melted and starting to brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Top with more grated Parmesan. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley leaves and red pepper flakes if you want.
Notes
We really like this recipe it was easy for a weekly meal to get done quickly and we swapped out the marinara sauce for Alfredo