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My vegetarian Mediterranean meatball casserole is a dump-and-bake dinner with orzo (that you don’t have to pre-cook!), briny olives, and creamy feta baked right into the sauce. An epic weeknight dinner!
save this recipe!When I was playing around with a meatball dump-and-bake idea, I knew it couldn’t just be a basic red sauce and meatballs. We needed super simple techniques and ingredients that packed a punch, the Live Eat Learn way. And thanks to my Marry Me Orzo Bake, I knew Mediterranean flavors were the move!
During testing, we found that starting everything together lets the orzo absorb flavor from the tomatoes, olives, and feta instead of plain broth. Adding the plant-based meatballs later was key (putting them in too early caused the orzo to cook unevenly and the meatballs to soften too much).
Meatballs for dinner are always a win
- One pan: True to dump-and-bake simplicity
- Any plant-based meatball works: we tried and had great results with a variety of brands
- Meal prep them: This plant-based meatball bake is easy to reheat without drying out
Key Ingredients
This vegetarian Mediterranean casserole relies on a short list of ingredients that are all easy to find in your local grocery store. You probably already have most of them in your pantry! Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Orzo: This little pasta that resembles rice is the perfect vessel for the Mediterranean flavors.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add concentrated sweetness and depth that fresh tomatoes alone can’t provide.
- Kalamata Olives: Bring salinity and bitterness that balance the creamy feta and starch. Look for pitted ones for less prep work.
- Feta Cheese: If you have ever made the viral baked feta pasta, then you know that this cheese melts into the most delicious sauce!
- Plant-Based Meatballs: Added frozen! You can also make your own vegan meatballs or chickpea meatballs.
- Vegetable Broth: Helps to better season everything without a boatload of ingredients.
why orzo Quality matters
The type of orzo you use will determine how long this weeknight vegetarian dinner bakes. Cheaper orzo cooks very quickly. Higher-quality orzo is made with better flour and longer kneading times, so it’s a stronger pasta and thus takes longer to cook.
Make ahead
If you have a busy night filled with friends or kids’ activities, then making this dump and bake orzo casserole when you can is the move. You can pop everything except the meatballs and orzo into the casserole dish, cover, and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to make it, just stir in the orzo and proceed with the recipe as written.
make it your own
We all know I love a veggie-filled dish! This one is the perfect base for adding more vegetables, so if you don’t have picky eaters, try one of these:
- Spinach: Stir it in before adding the meatballs
- Artichokes: Add these at the beginning with the uncooked orzo
love dump dinner? try these!
Lemon Pepper Orzo (Dump & Bake)
50 minutes
Boursin Gnocchi Casserole (Dump & Bake)
45 minutes
Marry Me Orzo (Vegetarian Dump & Bake!)
50 minutes
Vegetarian Meatball Casserole (Mediterranean Dump & Bake)
Ingredients
- 1 lb orzo*, 453 g
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup halved kalamata olives
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp each salt, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth, may need up to 1 additional cup, 709 mL
- 1 8-oz block feta cheese
- 1 14-oz package frozen plant-based meatballs, we used Impossible Homestyle Meatballs
- To serve: lemon zest, crusty bread
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a large (9×13 inch or similar) casserole dish.
- Dump: To the prepared dish, dump 1 lb orzo*, ½ cup finely diced red onion, ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (roughly chopped), ¼ cup halved kalamata olives, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 4 cloves garlic (minced), ½ tsp each salt, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, ¼ tsp black pepper, and 3 cups vegetable broth. Stir to combine, then nestle 1 8-oz block feta cheese into the center of the dish.
- Bake: Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add Meatballs: Stir everything well to disperse the feta (it should be soft and breakable, but some large chunks are okay). If the orzo looks dry or isn’t fully submerged, add additional broth (this will depends on your brand of orzo).Arrange 1 14-oz package frozen plant-based meatballs on top. Return to the oven, uncovered, until orzo is tender and meatballs are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve warm, optionally topped with fresh lemon zest and good crusty bread!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
What brand of orzo do you use?
I like De Cecco or DeLallo!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, thanks Jean!
Love this one! Used a Violife feta block, more red onion, and omitted olives. Did end up adding a cup of broth after the first bake – it turned out wonderfully! I’ll definitely be repeating this one again!
So thrilled to hear it was a hit, Savannah! Happy eating!
Hi Sarah, I am wondering if you have any recommendations for substitutions for the olives in this recipe? Can’t wait to try this one!
Thank you!
You can just omit the olives if you’re not a fan!
I wonder if you could use Israeli/pearl couscous instead of orzo with a similar ratio? Have you tried doing a dump and bake style recipe with that? This sounds super yummy and the only thing I’d have to get is the orzo, but I have Israeli couscous. Hmm
I haven’t tried but I think it would work! I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
Another amazing comfort dish
from Sarah. The melting feta makes for a simple and delicious
sauciness without being overly heavy. I made the recipe a bit more Italian by adding a few sprinkles of fennel seed and
Italian seasoning blend as well as some artichokes and mushrooms I had in the fridge.
Definitely will make again.
Big smiles over here Katherine, thanks for trying it!
This recipe was easy to follow and just as easy to put together. It turned out delicious!
So pumped you loved the recipe April!
So yummy!
So glad it hit the spot, thanks Kirsten!
I learned the hard way not to use chickpea orzo (Barilla brand), as it completely disintegrated and turned to mush while baking. The flavor of the dish was good but the texture was not. I will definitely give this another try, but with real orzo next time! Please learn from my mistake!