Homemade Meatball Sub Sandwiches

Why You’ll Love These Meatball Sub Sandwiches

• Homemade: From the meatballs to the marinara sauce, this entire recipe is homemade and authentic. You can taste the difference!
• Make-ahead meal: The sauce and meatballs can be made an advance if needed. This is perfect for meal prepping or party prepping.
• Versatile: Enjoy the meatballs and marinara as a sandwich or serve it over pasta or vegetables.
• Family-friendly: Kids and adults both enjoy these subs.

Ingredients:

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you will need, a few notes about each.

Meatballs

• Ground beef: I use just ground beef, but you can do a mixture of ground beed and pork or ground beef a veal as well.
• Onion: any kind will do! I typically use a yellow one.
• Fresh garlic: For flavor.
• Seasoned Italian bread crumbs: You can use traditional bread crumbs or panko breadcrumbs. Feel free to substitute gluten free breadcrumbs if needed.
• 1 egg and 1 egg white: the eggs help bind the meatballs together.
• Milk: milk helps keep the meatballs moist. I suggest using at least 2% milk fat.
• Spices: Salt, pepper and parsley. I prefer fresh parsley for color and freshness, but you can also used dried parsley.

Marinara Sauce

• 1 yellow onion: onion is for flavor and adds sweetness.
• Fresh garlic: garlic adds that wonderful garlic flavor.
• Crushed tomatoes: I like to use crushed tomatoes for this recipe. They’re thicker.
• Petite diced tomatoes: I also add diced tomatoes for textures.
• Parmesan cheese: A little parmesan is cooked in the sauce. It adds a nutty, salty flavor.
• Red wine: I love adding a little red wine to marinara sauce. It’s adds depth, richness and complexity to the sauce.
• Salt and pepper: helps bring out the flavors and season the entire sauce.
• Crushed red pepper flakes: for a little heat.
• Sugar: to help balance the acidity.
• Fresh parsley and basil: to add freshness and flavor.

Other Ingredients

• Bread: There are a few options you can choose from. You can do with a sub sandwich roll, hoagie roll, ciabatta sandwich bread or a baguette. I prefer a baguette over hoagie roll. They hold up well.
• Cheese: Sliced mozzarella or provolone work best. You can totally use both!

If you love homemade meatballs, invest in a stainless steel cookie scoop – it helps portion your meatballs evenly so they cook perfectly every time.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the meatballs: To make the meatballs, add all the ingredients into a large bowl and gently mix with your hands. Roll into 15, 3 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet and cover. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This allows the meatballs to develop flavor.

Step 2: Make the marinara sauce: While the meatballs are resting, heat olive oil in a large pot, like a dutch oven. Add onions and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Next, add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add the red wine and cook until it evaporates – this won’t take long. Finally, add the tomatoes, spices, herbs and sugar. Bring sauce to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Cook the meatballs: There are two ways you can cook the meatballs. Options 1: Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet, like a cast iron skillet. Add 6-8 meatballs and sear on all sides until browned. Remove the meatballs to a paper towel to drain. Once all the meatballs are seared, gently place them into the marinara sauce and let them simmer for 20 minutes. Option 2: Simply place uncooked meatballs into the marinara sauce and let them simmer for 25 minutes.

Why sear the meatballs first when you can just add them into the sauce? This is a great question. They will hold up better since they will have developed a crust. They also have more flavor because they’ve been seared. I prefer to make them this way, but it is an extra step. However, the sandwiches will still be very tasty if you decide to cook them in the sauce only.

Step 4: Assemble the sandwiches: First, place sandwich bread on a rimmed cookie sheet. Then place two slices of cheese on the bread, add 3 meatballs to each sandwich, then top with the marinara sauce. Place the sandwiches under your oven broiler for 3-5 minutes until the edges of the bread start the crisp and the cheese is melty. Top with fresh basil and enjoy!