Oven-Baked Amish Meatball Stew

This little oven-baked meatball stew is the sort of quiet, practical dish that shows up on church potlucks and farm tables all over the Midwest. It’s only four ingredients, starts with dry egg noodles and frozen meatballs, and bakes together in a glass dish until everything is tender and cozy.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish so the noodles don’t stick.

Step 2

Spread the dry egg noodles evenly over the bottom of the glass baking dish. Don’t cook them first; they will soften in the oven as they soak up the broth.

Step 3

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the beef broth and condensed cream of mushroom soup until fairly smooth. A few little lumps are fine; they’ll melt as it bakes.

Step 4

Pour the broth and soup mixture evenly over the dry noodles in the baking dish, making sure all the noodles are moistened. Gently press down any noodles that are sticking up so they’re mostly covered with liquid.

Step 5

Arrange the frozen meatballs in a single, fairly even layer over the top of the noodles. You don’t need to thaw them; just scatter them so each serving will get several meatballs.

Step 6

Cover the glass baking dish tightly with foil to trap the steam. This helps the dry noodles cook through and keeps the meatballs tender.

Step 7

Bake on the center rack for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the foil—watch out for the hot steam—then give the noodles a gentle stir around the edges, leaving most of the meatballs on top.

Step 8

Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, the meatballs are heated through, and the stew is bubbling around the edges.

Step 9

Let the meatball stew rest for about 5–10 minutes on the counter before serving. This short rest lets the sauce thicken slightly and makes it easier to spoon into bowls.