Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe
User Reviews
5
12 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
4 hrs
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Total Time
4 hrs 20 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
520 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe
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Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe features tender meatballs simmered in a robust tomato-based sauce infused with garlic and Italian herbs. The sauce-coated meatballs are layered in French rolls and topped with melted mozzarella or provolone cheese for a classic, hearty sandwich experience. This recipe delivers comfort food with complex seasoning and rich textures.
Description
This recipe begins by sautéing chopped onions in olive oil until soft, then adding garlic and a blend of dried Italian herbs including oregano, basil, thyme, and parsley along with garlic and onion powders, celery seed, cayenne, and a touch of sugar to balance acidity. Tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce form the sauce base enhanced by beef base for richness.
Frozen or homemade meatballs are simmered within this sauce until heated through, absorbing the herb-infused tomato flavor. Sub rolls are prepared by slicing and filling generously with the meatballs and sauce, topped with mozzarella or provolone, and can be heated further to melt the cheese.
This sandwich is ideal as a satisfying meal, offering layered savory flavors and a firm but tender texture from the meatballs and bread. It is recommended to prepare the components ahead or use frozen meatballs for convenience.
Leftovers should be stored with meatballs, sauce, cheese, and bread separated to maintain freshness, with reheating instructions provided to preserve texture and flavor. The meatball and sauce portion freeze well, enabling make-ahead ease.
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Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped, medium
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic smashed and finely minced
- 2 tablespoons oregano dried
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder I love the granulated garlic from Costco
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons parsley or 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, dried
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons basil or 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, dried
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon thyme or 1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar add another 1/2 teaspoon if it tastes bitter
- 1 tablespoon beef base better than bouillon
- 1 (6 oz) tomato paste canned
- 1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes canned
- 1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes I like petite diced, canned
- 1 (15 oz) tomato sauce or 2 (8 oz) cans, canned
- 32 ounces meatballs or make Homemade Meatballs, frozen
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese or provolone cheese
- 12 French Rolls sandwich buns or smaller French "steak rolls" if you can find them
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Chop an onion small. In a large, high sided 12-inch skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil over medium low heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for about 5-8 minutes until they're nearly translucent and very soft.
- Meanwhile, finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside. To a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons oregano, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Don't forget to stir your onions occasionally while measuring out the spices.
- Once the onions are soft, add the minced garlic and all the spices, and stir for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. After a minute or two, you should be able to smell the garlic and spices. Turn the burner to low so it doesn't scorch the garlic.
- Add in 1 tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Beef Base and 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste. Stir into the onions and break up the tomato paste as best you can for about one minute.
- Add in 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes and use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Make sure you get it all, there's a lot of flavor in those bits! Pour in 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce. Stir everything together until the sauce is really well combined.
- Stove top instructions: Add the meatballs and stir to combine. Cook over low or medium low heat for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Slow Cooker instructions: Carefully pour the sauce into your slow cooker. Try not to splash! Enlist help if you need it. It's hot, so be careful.Add in 32 ounces of frozen meatballs and stir until the meatballs are totally covered in sauce.
- Set your slow cooker to low. The meatballs and sauce will be ready in about 4 hours, but can stay on low for as long as 6-8 hours, it will be just fine. You can also set the slow cooker to high and cook for 2 hours if you are in a hurry. Once it is finished, set the cooker to warm if eating later, or turn it off completely if you'll be eating immediately.
- Prep Sandwiches: First, set your oven to broil. Move the oven rack up a few inches below the heat source. Grate or thinly slice your cheese and set aside.
- Split your buns if they aren't already, and line them open-sides-up on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven until toasted, about 1-3 minutes. Do not walk away! The timing will depend on your oven, so be VERY careful and keep on eye on them so they do not burn. They are toasty when you just start to see brown spots appearing.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and immediately add some grated or sliced cheese to the buns. A thin layer is fine. It's going to melt and add a barrier that helps prevent the buns from getting soggy. Return the pan to the broiler for just about 1 minute to finish melting the cheese, if you like.
- Buffet Style Serving: At this point you can serve the subs buffet style. Serve the buns (with melted cheese), meatballs in sauce, and more cheese to sprinkle on top. Each person can choose their own roll (with cheese), then add the amount of meatballs, sauce, and cheese they like.
- Family Style Serving: Add the toasted buns with cheese to a glass baking dish. The size of the dish will depend on the size of your rolls and how many sandwiches you are preparing to eat immediately. You want them fairly close together to keep all the meatballs in sauce from falling out. Add meatballs and sauce to each sub roll, then top each with more sliced or grated cheese. Add back into the oven and warm under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browned.
- Serve these subs alongside a simple green salad like this Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing or some Easy Roasted Broccoli. If you're really wanting to keep things simple, you could even serve them with some potato chips and a bag of baby carrots!
- Store meatballs and sauce in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Buns can stay at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- How to freeze: Meatballs and sauce freeze beautifully! Freeze in ziplocks. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then add to a pan. Heat over medium low, whisking the sauce in between meatballs as it heats.
Notes
- Semi-thaw frozen meatballs before cooking to reduce cooking time and ensure even heating.
- Sauté onions until translucent and soft before adding garlic and spices to fully develop flavor in the sauce.
- Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days; keep cheese refrigerated separately for several weeks.
- Reheat meatballs and sauce gently on the stove or microwaved at half power to avoid drying out the meatballs.
- Assemble sandwiches just before serving to prevent soggy bread; leftover buns store well for 2-3 days at room temperature or can be frozen for 1-2 months.
- Meatball and sauce mixture freezes well for up to 4-6 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
520kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
39g
(13%)
Protein
28g
(56%)
Fat
28g
(43%)
Saturated Fat
11g
(55%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
11g
(55%)
Cholesterol
84mg
(28%)
Potassium
436mg
(9%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
531IU
(11%)
Vitamin C
5mg
(6%)
Calcium
238mg
(24%)
Iron
13mg
(72%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 520 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 520kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Cholesterol | 84mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 436mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 531IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 238mg | 24% |
| Iron | 13mg | 72% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
12 reviews
Excellent
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