This Alfredo and Meatballs recipe is the ultimate comfort food dinner. With easy prep, simple ingredients, and make-ahead options, it’s a stress-free meal perfect for busy weeknights!
Creamy, comforting, and packed with flavor, this Alfredo and Meatballs recipe is a true family favorite. The tender, oven-baked meatballs are juicy and full of rich, savory goodness from simple ingredients like ground beef, onion, garlic, and breadcrumbs. The Alfredo sauce is my own easy take on the classic—lusciously creamy, buttery, and perfectly seasoned to coat every bite of pasta. Paired with soft, egg noodles (or any pasta you love), this dish brings together the best of both worlds: the hearty satisfaction of meatballs with the indulgent silkiness of Alfredo sauce. It’s a cozy, kid-approved meal that feels like a treat but is surprisingly simple to pull together.
Despite the number of ingredients, this recipe is weeknight-friendly and meal-prep approved. The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen, so all you have to do is pop them in the oven while you cook the pasta and whip up the sauce in minutes. There’s no complicated technique—just a straightforward process that makes dinnertime easier for busy parents. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or something extra comforting for a cozy night in, this Alfredo and Meatballs recipe is guaranteed to bring everyone to the table.
Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier? Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!
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Why You’ll Love this Alfredo Meatball Recipe
Meatballs are not just for red sauce! Pairing meatballs with Alfredo sauce seems like a natural fit! Here are the reasons you will love this recipe.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen, cutting down on prep time when you need a quick meal.
- Oven Does the Work – The meatballs bake hands-free while you cook the pasta and whip up the sauce, making multitasking easy.
- Creamy, Comforting, and Kid-Approved – The rich Alfredo sauce and tender meatballs make this a meal the whole family will love.
- Simple Ingredients – No fancy or hard-to-find ingredients—just basic pantry and fridge staples that come together effortlessly.
- Versatile Pasta Options – While it’s made with egg noodles, you can swap in any pasta you already have on hand.
- Easy Cleanup – One pan for the meatballs, one pot for the pasta, and one pan for the sauce—minimal mess for a homemade meal!
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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Meatball Ingredients
- Ground beef – I used 90% lean Ground Beef, but you can use any fat content. You can substitute in ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions. If you don’t have fresh onion, you can also use a tablespoon of onion flakes or onion powder.
- Fresh Garlic cloves – I like fresh in this recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Egg – Egg is used as a binder for the meatballs, but you can substitute with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or greek yogurt if you don’t have egg.
- Breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs help thicken and stabilize the meatballs. I used panko breadcrumbs, but any plain will work.
Alfredo Sauce and Pasta Ingredients
- Milk – I use 2% for this recipe, but you can use 1%, 2%, or whole milk. You can also substitute half and half or heavy cream for a richer and creamy alfredo sauce.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with the cold milk to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this sauce.
- Butter – I used salted, but you can use unsalted or margarine.
- Half and Half – Typically, heavy cream is used as the base for alfredo sauce, so you can use that. I wanted to make this a bit lighter, so I went with half and half. You can substitute coconut milk or cream (no added sugar). Ideally, you want something thick.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves – As with the meatballs, I used freshly minced garlic in this recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Chicken base – Chicken base is a paste that’s easy to mix into sauces. You can sub Chicken bouillon powder or crush a cube. Beef base can be used, but will likely make the color of your alfredo darker. You can also use chicken or beef broth, but reduce or eliminate the pasta water and or milk initially or the sauce will be too thin. Reserve the pasta water though and add it later if needed.
- Parmesan Cheese – Fresh grated parmesan cheese will mix in the best for a slightly cheesy sauce. If you only have shredded parmesan cheese, you can pulse it in a food processor to grind it or make sure to continuously stir the sauce when its added to ensure it doesn’t clump.
- Pasta Water – The starchy water thickens the sauce, creates a creamy texture, and then the sauce will cling better to the pasta noodles
- Pasta – I used egg noodles because I was getting a swedish meatball vibe with this recipe. You can use traditional fettuccine noodles or your favorite pasta shape.
- Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – The parsley is optional to garnish, adding freshness and color.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment
For this recipe, you need a large skillet/frying pan for making the veggies and curry sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning.
A food processor, such as this mini food processor, will best mince the garlic and onion together. Mincing garlic is also made super easy with a Garlic Press if you don’t have a food processor.
Finally, a large sheet pan (I use a 17×11) to bake the meatballs.
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)
Prep the meatball mixture by mincing onion and garlic in a food processor.
Add the mixture to a large bowl and add the egg, seasonings, and finally the ground beef or breadcrumbs. Mix the beef together with everything making sure that it is evenly mixed through.
Talking Tip!
Prepare the meatballs in advance! You can prep them, then either cover them with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge, flash freeze them in the freezer (then move to a storage bag), and pull them out for busy nights.
Scoop out a heaping tablespoon or small ice cream scoop of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake in the oven on center rack for 20 minutes or until cooked through to the center.
To a preheated frying pan over medium heat, add the butter, half and half, chicken base, and minced garlic and bring to a light simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch and milk slurry. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken, 2-3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the sauce, then ¼ cup of the pasta water and stir to combine. Add more pasta water if the sauce is still too thick. Then mix in the remaining parmesan cheese and parsley. Add salt and pepper as needed, then nestle the meatballs into the pasta.
Garnish with Parmesan and Parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Variations on Alfredo and Meatballs
Here are some delicious variations on Alfredo and meatballs to add variety to this creamy, comforting dish.
- Make it Cajun – Add Cajun seasoning to both the meatballs and Alfredo sauce for a spicy kick. Top with sliced green onions for extra flavor.
- Bacon Alfredo – Add crispy bacon bits to the Alfredo sauce for a smoky, savory touch.
- Ground Chicken or Turkey – You can lighten this recipe up with a leaner meatball option would be ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Vegetables – Sauté mushrooms and fold them into the Alfredo sauce for an earthy, umami-rich variation. Spinach and artichokes would also compliment the sauce well.
See this Gluten-Free version of Alfredo Sauce with Prosciutto on my website!
Recipe FAQs
While homemade Alfredo sauce is rich and flavorful, a store-bought sauce can save time. You can enhance it with garlic, Parmesan, or extra seasonings to make it even tastier.
Beef is a budget-friendly protein which makes this family-friendly. Pork, chicken, turkey, or even plant-based meatballs all work well. For a richer flavor, try a combination of beef and pork.
For a richer sauce, stir in extra Parmesan cheese, a little cream cheese, or an egg yolk while cooking.
This recipe uses a binder, a mixture of breadcrumbs and an egg, to hold the meatballs together to avoid meatballs from falling apart. Avoid overmixing, as it can make them dense and dry.
Want More Recipes like this?
Enjoying hearty, budget-friendly family meals? Here are a few fan favorites on Talking meals to give a try.
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Easy Alfredo and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground beef 90% lean
- ½ Onion
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 Egg large
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Alfredo Sauce and Pasta
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Butter salted
- 1 cup Half and Half or Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Milk 1%, 2%, or whole also work
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Chicken base or powder bouillon or crushed bouillon cube I used Better than Bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 cup Pasta Water use the pasta water after pasta cooks
- ¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley chopped
- 12 ounces Pasta, dry uncooked
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- PREP MEATBALL MIXTURE. Peel the onion, cut off the stems, cut it into quarters and put into the food processor. Add 2 garlic cloves. Pulse and then blend until chopped up into small rice-size pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. To the onion and garlic, add the egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together. Then add in the ground beef and breadcrumbs. Mix the beef together with everything making sure that it is evenly mixed through.
- FORM MEATBALLS. Divide the mixture in half in the bowl, so that you can make sure to get 8-9 meatballs from each half, for a total of 16-18. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon or small ice cream scoop of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet. Do this for the rest of the meat mixture. Either cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge, flash freeze in the freezer (then move to storage bag) or move on to cooking.
- PREP GARLIC AND PARMESAN. Mince the garlic for the alfredo sauce. Grate the parmesan cheese.
Cooking Steps
- COOK MEATBALLS. Preheat the oven 400 F degrees. Place the meatballs on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven on center rack for 20 minutes or until cooked through to the center.
- MAKE PASTA. While the beef is cooking, boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Once the pasta water is boiling, add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn’t stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce and then drain the pasta. Leave the pasta in the strainer until the sauce is ready.
- MAKE ALFREDO. Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the cold milk. Set aside. Preheat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter, half and half, chicken base, and minced garlic and bring to a light simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch and milk slurry. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- MIX THE PASTA. At this point, you can either add the pasta to the sauce or the sauce to the pasta pot, whichever pot/pan is big enough to combine everything. Add in ¼ cup of the pasta water and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and then mix in the remaining parmesan cheese and Parsley. Add the meatballs. Garnish with Parmesan and Parsley. Serve and enjoy!
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