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This is my go-to, super easy homemade marinara sauce that I make in huge batches and freeze for when I need something quick.

The turkey meatballs are cribbed from this recipe and are delicious and -no surprises here- also great as a freezer meal.

The recipe here below for easy homemade marinara is one of my go-to “drop dinners”.

What’s a Drop Dinner, you say?

Sometimes referred to as “dump meals” or “homemade meal kits”, a Drop Dinner is when you prep everything ahead of time – and then don’t cook it until you’re ready.

Because everything has been prepped, you can just “drop” the ingredients into the correct cooking vessel, and that’s it!

I do this style of meal prep all the time. It’s the easiest way I’ve discovered to manage our busy family life and still get homemade meals on the table.

No more chopping vegetables at 5pm while kids whine on your legs that they’re hungry.
No more reinventing the wheel every afternoon trying to figure out what to cook for dinner.

Here’s how I make this Easiest Ever Marinara Sauce and Turkey Meatballs Drop Dinner… with or without the spaghetti I usually serve it with:

1.Add the ingredients of the easy homemade marinara sauce to a reusable freezer bag (well sealed) or something like this U-Konserve stainless steel container with a clear lid so it’s easy to see what’s inside in case the label gets lost.

I just dump everything in and don’t worry about mixing it or anything.

2. After that, make the meatball mix in the food processor.

I roll the mix into meatballs using a combo of my hands and an ice cream scoop, and I place the meatballs on a sheet pan as I roll them.

Once the meatball mix is made, I pop the whole sheet pan in the freezer for about an hour.

3. After the meatballs have chilled to a point where they’re easy to handle, I transfer them to a large reusable freezer-safe bag (this is my ride-or-die freezer-safe bag, by the way. So easy to handle!)

This bag gets stored in the freezer.

4. When I’m ready to eat, just dump the contents of the marinara sauce and the frozen turkey meatballs together into a saucepan, crockpot, or Instant Pot.

Hot tip: If you use the U-Konserve container I linked or a similar-sized container that’s round, you don’t have to thaw the ingredients before putting them in your cooking vessel.

I just dump the whole block of frozen liquid right into the pot, add the lid and start it on a lower heat, and walk away.

It’ll cook just fine that way! I’ll go and turn up the heat later if I’m around. Or, if not, just let it simmer on low til it’s smooth and cooked through.

5. Make some spaghetti noodles or serve with crusty bread for a meatballs sandwich.