Easy Italian Meatball Sub Sandwiches
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Servings
8 sandwiches
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Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian
Easy Italian Meatball Sub Sandwiches
Description
Easy Italian Meatball Sub Sandwiches feature a blend of ground beef and pork combined with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and cheeses, which helps create moist and flavorful meatballs. Baking them in the oven keeps them tender without overworking the mixture. The accompanying sauce is a simple marinara with olive oil, minced garlic, crushed tomatoes, and fresh basil, gently spiced with red pepper flakes. The cheese blend of provolone, fontina, and Parmesan provides a creamy and slightly sharp contrast to the savory meatballs.
The sandwiches are assembled on crusty sub rolls, which hold up well to the juicy meatballs and sauce. The melted cheeses add a smooth layer that balances the texture of the meat and bread. These subs work well for a casual lunch or dinner and can be paired with a side salad or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
The recipe suggests mixing the meatball ingredients gently to keep them tender and using an ice cream scoop to portion uniform-sized meatballs for even cooking. Baking the meatballs on parchment paper lined trays helps with cleanup and prevents sticking. For best results, cook the meatballs fully in the oven before adding them to the sauce and assembling the sandwiches.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound (454g) ground beef
- 1 pound (454) ground pork
- 3 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup (100g) Parmesan Cheese finely grated
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup (171ml) water
For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup (76ml) olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- 2 ounce cans crushed tomatoes with basil
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup basil chopped, fresh leaves
For the Subs:
- 8 crusty sub rolls cut in half
- 8 ounces provolone cheese shredded
- 6 ounces fontina cheese shredded
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese finely grated
- basil torn, for garnish, optional, fresh
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, pork, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, salt, egg, cheese, and breadcrumbs.
- Slowly add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing with your hands until everything is just combined. Don't over mix here or it'll make the meatballs tough. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.
- Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop about two and half tablespoons of meat into your palms and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all of the meat.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until they're cooked though.
- While the meatballs bake, make your marinara sauce!
For the Sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic and sauté for one minute, or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and seasoning and stir well to combine. Simmer the sauce for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in basil and cook for 5 more minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- When meatballs are done cooking, add them to the sauce, stir to coat, use as directed below.
For the Subs:
- Preheat the oven to broiler. Slice the sub rolls in half, being sure to cut only 3/4 of the way through the roll.
- Place 5 meatballs into each sub roll. Spoon extra sauce on top of each roll. Then divide the shredded provolone and fontina cheeses evenly on top of rolls.
- Carefully place the subs onto a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and gooey and slightly golden brown in some spots. Don't walk away and keep a close eye here, you don’t want them to burn! If you're broiler runs hot, put it on the low setting .
- Remove from heat, sprinkle with basil and parmesan, and serve warm!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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