These Marry Me Meatballs are tender homemade Italian meatballs simmered in a rich and creamy Parmesan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and spinach.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

If you love Marry Me Chicken, you have to try this meatball version. The meatballs are baked until tender and juicy, then finished in the most incredible creamy Parmesan sauce loaded with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach.

This is one of those dinners that feels a little fancy but is actually super easy to make. Serve these meatballs over pasta, mashed potatoes or with some crusty bread to soak up every last bit of that sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

That sauce! Creamy, cheesy, garlicky and packed with flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes.
Easy homemade meatballs. Baking them means there’s no standing over the stove frying them in batches.
Perfect comfort food. Rich, cozy and incredibly satisfying.
Great for entertaining. It looks and tastes impressive without being difficult to make.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this delicious recipe. You can find the full ingredients list along with measurements on the recipe card below.

For the Meatballs

Ground beef – The base of the meatballs. I’d use 80/20 or 85/15 for the best flavor and texture.
Parmesan cheese – Adds salty, cheesy flavor.
Italian blend cheese – Adds even more flavor and helps keep the meatballs tender.
Breadcrumbs – Helps bind everything together.
Egg – Holds the meatball mixture together.
Salt and pepper – Enhances all the flavors.
Garlic powder – Adds plenty of garlic flavor throughout the meatballs.
Onion powder – Gives the meatballs another layer of savory flavor.

For the Marry Me Sauce

Butter – Used to sauté the garlic and start the sauce.
Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the cream sauce tons of flavor.
Chicken broth – Thins out the sauce while adding savory flavor.
Heavy cream – Creates the rich, creamy base.
Grated Parmesan cheese – Melts into the sauce and makes it cheesy and delicious.
Salt and pepper – Season to taste.
Garlic powder – Adds another boost of garlic flavor.
Italian seasoning – Gives the sauce that classic Italian-inspired flavor.
Dijon mustard – Adds a little tang and depth without making the sauce taste like mustard.
Sun-dried tomatoes – Adds a sweet, tangy bite that makes Marry Me sauce so good.
Baby spinach – Wilts right into the sauce and adds some color and freshness.

How to Make Them

Preheat the oven to 350°F . Add the ground beef, Parmesan, Italian cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to a large bowl. Gently mix everything together until just combined. Try not to overwork the meat or the meatballs can become tough. Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs and place them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

Marry me meatballs formed and put onto a baking sheet

While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the garlic for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Dijon mustard. Stir everything together until well combined. Stir in the diced sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach.

large skillet with butter, garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes and spinach being simmered

Once the spinach has wilted, lower the heat and let the sauce gently simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet and gently toss them in the sauce. Let everything simmer together for another 5 minutes, then serve warm.

creamy sauce in skillet topped with marry me meatballs

Pro Tips

Don’t overmix the meatball mixture. Mix just until everything comes together so they stay tender.
Try to make the meatballs roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding the heavy cream. A hard boil can cause cream sauces to separate.
Freshly grated Parmesan will melt much more smoothly into the sauce than pre-shredded cheese.
If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of chicken broth. If it’s too thin, let it simmer for another couple of minutes.
If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, drain them well before chopping.

Variations

Use another meat: Ground turkey, ground chicken or a beef-and-pork blend would all work well.
Add some heat: Sprinkle in crushed red pepper flakes with the seasonings.
Skip the spinach: You can leave it out completely or substitute chopped kale.
Make it extra saucy: Increase the heavy cream and chicken broth if you’re serving the meatballs over a big bowl of pasta.

What to Serve With Marry Me Meatballs

These are amazing served over pasta because all that creamy Parmesan sauce coats the noodles. You could also serve them with mashed potatoes, rice or even roasted potatoes. And definitely consider some homemade garlic bread for soaking up the extra sauce.

Can I Make These Ahead Of Time?

Yes. You can bake the meatballs ahead of time, refrigerate them and then add them to the freshly made sauce when you’re ready to serve.

Can I Use Frozen Meatballs?

Absolutely. Homemade will give you the best flavor, but fully cooked frozen meatballs are a great shortcut.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover Marry Me Meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.

Reheat them gently in a skillet over low to medium-low heat. Cream sauces can thicken quite a bit in the refrigerator, so add a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream while reheating to loosen the sauce back up.

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