Meatball Subs

Table of Contents

1. Meatball Subs Ingredients
2. Substitutions And Additions
3. How To Make This Meatball Subs Recipe
4. How To Serve
5. Storage
6. More Recipes You’ll Love
7. JUMP TO RECIPE

These meatball 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.

Meatball Subs Ingredients

You’ll need:

For The Meatballs:

• 2 pounds of lean ground beef
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup of Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup of parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ cup of olive oil

For The Sauce:

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

For The Sub Sandwich:

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

Substitutions And Additions

CHEESE: If you prefer a sharper cheese, you can substitute sliced provolone cheese for the sliced mozzarella. In addition, if you can not find sliced mozzarella cheese, you can use grated mozzarella cheese in its place.

GROUND MEAT: You could also use ground pork or a mixture of pork and beef in this delicious recipe.

SPICY: Make your homemade meatball sub with a bit of a kick by mixing in a little bit of red pepper flakes.

BREAD: Choose a long roll that will hold 2-3 meatballs and won’t fall apart. Hoagie buns, sub buns, or French bread would work perfectly.

TOPPINGS: Add sauteed bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms on top of your meatballs as extra toppings.

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: 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 make 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 24 (1.5 ounces or 1.5-1.75-inch diameter) 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 8-10 minutes.

Once you have browned the 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 24 bounce 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: At this point, you can assemble your sub sandwiches by opening your sub roll lengthwise. Place 4 meatballs into each sub roll.

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 it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, or until your cheese has melted and your sub roll has crisped up slightly.

STEP TEN: Garnish your subs with a couple of spoonfuls of additional sauce, grated parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and any toppings you like.

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.

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

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 subs 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

• Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
• Homemade Meatballs
• Swedish Meatballs and Noodles
• Salisbury Steak Meatballs
• Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
• Cheese Stuffed Meatballs