Meatball Subs

Juicy meatballs simmered in a delicious, thick tomato sauce and topped with ooey-gooey melted cheese make these meatball subs a fantastic choice for a quick meal.

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These meatballs subs feature juicy meatballs cooked in a rich tomato sauce and then served on a soft bun with melted cheese. There is so much flavor in these delicious sandwiches and homemade is always better than takeout.

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Check out our other warm sandwich options. Our fried chicken sandwich and sloppy joes are both fantastic choices. 

MEATBALL SUBS INGREDIENTS

You will need:

For the Meatballs:

• 3¾ pounds (60 ounces) lean ground beef
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil

For the Sauce:

• 2 (28-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup sweet onion, small diced (about 1 medium-sized onion)
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Sub Sandwich:

• 4 hearty sub rolls (approximately 7 to 8 inches long each) 
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese (from the deli section, not a block of cheese)
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• Additional chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired

HOW TO MAKE THIS MEATBALL SUBS RECIPE

STEP ONE: In a 6-quart pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes. 

STEP TWO: then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low heat and simmer the sauce while you move forward with making the meatballs. Make sure to stir your sauce every so often to make sure it doesn’t burn. 

STEP THREE: In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, eggs, panko, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Using a large wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

STEP FOUR: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom. Set aside.

STEP FIVE: Using a kitchen scale, divide the meatball mixture and weigh out 12 (5-ounce) meatballs. Shape your meatballs by lightly rolling them in your hands, then place the formed meatballs, in rows, on the prepared sheet pan.

STEP SIX: In a large, heavy-duty skillet, heat the ¼ cup olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place 6 of your shaped meatballs into the skillet. You will brown your meatballs on all sides. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Once you have browned your meatballs on all sides, remove them from the skillet and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat this step with the remaining meatballs. When you are done, you should have 12 browned meatballs back on your parchment-lined baking sheet.

STEP SEVEN: Place your baking sheet, with the browned meatballs, into the oven to finish baking the meatballs for 30 minutes. 

STEP EIGHT: Once you remove your cooked meatballs from the oven, place them into your pot of simmering sauce for another 30 minutes on medium-low heat.

STEP NINE: Preheat your oven to BROIL. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside. 

STEP TEN: At this point, you can assemble your sub sandwiches by opening your sub roll lengthwise. Place 3 meatballs into each of the sub rolls. Top your meatballs with 2 slices of the deli sliced mozzarella cheese. Place your assembled meatball subs onto the aluminum foil-lined sheet tray and put them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until your cheese has melted and your sub roll has crisped up slightly.

STEP ELEVEN: You can garnish your sub with a couple of spoonfuls of additional sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley if desired. 

HOW TO SERVE

Serve your hearty meatball subs with a Caesar salad or cucumber salad on the side to add greens to your plate.

A great way to use any extra sauce and meatballs is to cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions and top them with your reheated sauce, meatballs, and a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese. You can serve this with a side of garlic toast and green salad.

MORE ITALIAN RECIPES

Pasta Recipes

Creamy Italian Chicken with Pasta

STORAGE

IN THE FRIDGE: These easy Italian meatball subs should be enjoyed immediately. If you wish to save any extra pasta sauce, or if you want to make the homemade meatballs and sauce ahead of time, you can store the cooled sauce and meatballs in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you are ready to assemble your subs to eat, you will need to place the meatballs and sauce back into a 6-quart pot and reheat them on medium-low heat for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. You can then follow steps 9 to 11.

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the extra meatballs and sauce together in a freezer-safe, lidded container for up to 2 months.

Tender meatballs and flavorful tomato sauce make this meatball sub sandwich recipe far better than anything from the sub shop. They make for an easy and filling meal which you could prep the meatballs ahead of time and throw them together for dinner on busy weeknights.

MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Italian Chicken
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Baked Ziti
• Chicken Parmesan
• Tomato Sandwich
• Grape Jelly Meatballs
• Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Ham Glaze Recipe
• Homemade Meatballs
• Carbonara Pasta
• Swedish Meatballs and Noodles
• Salisbury Steak Meatballs
• Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
• Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
• Chicken Salad Sandwich
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• Grilled Ham and Cheese
• Cucumber Sandwiches
• Tuna Melt
• Crockpot Swedish Meatballs

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Meatball Subs

5 from 1 vote

Juicy meatballs simmered in a delicious, thick tomato sauce and topped with ooey-gooey melted cheese make these meatball subs a fantastic choice for a quick meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4 subs

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Ingredients

  

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Meatballs

• 3 ¾ pounds lean ground beef (60 ounces)
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup olive oil

Sauce

• 56 ounces crushed tomatoes (2 28-ounce cans)
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup sweet onion small diced (about 1 medium-sized onion)
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced (about 2 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the sub sandwich

• 4 hearty sub rolls approximately 7-8 inches long each
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese from the deli section, not a block of cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese divided
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

 

• In a 6 quart pot, on medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, garlic, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce while you move forward with making the meatballs. Make sure to stir your sauce every so often to make sure it doesn’t burn.
• In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, eggs, panko, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
• Using a large wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

  Pro Tip: Be careful not to overwork the beef mixture because that causes tough meatballs.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom. Set aside.
• Using a kitchen scale, divide the meat mixture and weigh out 12 (5-ounce) meatballs. Shape your meatballs by lightly rolling them in your hands, then place the formed meatballs, in rows, on the prepared sheet pan.
• In a large, heavy-duty skillet, heat the ¼ cup olive oil. Once the oil is hot, place 6 of your shaped meatballs into the skillet. You will brown your meatballs on all sides. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Once you have browned your meatballs on all sides, remove them from the skillet and return them to the baking sheet. Repeat this step with the remaining meatballs. When you are done, you should have 12 browned meatballs back on your parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Place your baking sheet, with the browned meatballs, into the oven to finish baking the meatballs for 30 minutes.
• Once you remove your cooked meatballs from the oven, place them into your pot of simmering sauce for another 30 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Preheat your oven to BROIL. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.
• At this point, you can assemble your sub sandwiches by opening your sub roll lengthwise. Place 3 meatballs into each of the sub rolls. Top your meatballs with 2 slices of the deli sliced mozzarella cheese. Place your assembled meatball subs onto the aluminum foil-lined sheet tray and put them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until your cheese has melted and your sub roll has crisped up slightly.
• You can garnish your sub with a couple of spoonfuls of additional sauce, grated parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 1483kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 132g | Fat: 68g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 412mg | Sodium: 3411mg | Potassium: 3213mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 2289IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 821mg | Iron: 29mg

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