A good meatball sub is comfort food at its best. Crunchy bread topped with savory, juicy meatballs, a slightly sweet and tangy marinara sauce, and creamy, melted provolone cheese—it’s a special sandwich that doesn’t get enough credit!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
●Igredients
●Instructions
●Serve
Ingredients
For the meatballs
●1/3 cup whole milk, warmed
●1 slice white bread, crumbled
●1 pound ground beef (80 to 85% lean)
●1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
●1 large egg
●1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
●1 teaspoon kosher salt
●1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
●1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, for coating
●1/3 cup olive oil, for searing
●24 ounces good quality marinara sauce
For the subs
●4 large hoagie rolls, 6 to 8 inches long
●1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
●8 slices provolone cheese
●Fresh basil, for garnish
●Banana peppers, for garnish (optional)
Method
1.Prepare the meatball mixture:
Add the warm milk to a large bowl with the crumbled bread and let soak for a minute or two. Then add the ground beef, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and oregano. Mix with your hands until combined; it’s okay if there are a few bread chunks still.
2.Shape the meatballs:
Using wet hands, shape the mixture into about 16 even meatballs—each should be around 1 ounce, or 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Coat each meatball in breadcrumbs and set it on a baking sheet while you shape the rest of the meatballs.
3.Sear the meatballs:
Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s glistening hot, add the meatballs, searing for a few minutes on every side. Once seared, transfer the meatballs to a medium saucepan and add the marinara sauce.
4.Simmer the meatballs:
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add up to 1 cup of water to the pot if the marinara sauce seems too thick. Once the sauce is simmering, turn the heat down to low and cover with the lid, leaving it ajar so some steam can escape. Simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
5.Assemble and bake the meatball subs:
Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Using a bread knife, slice the hoagie rolls down the center, leaving the two sides attached, and open them up like a book. Add a little butter or drizzle of oil to the skillet and add the rolls cut side down. Cook until the hoagies are toasted, about 2 minutes. You will likely need to toast them 1 or 2 at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.
Scoop 4 meatballs out of the marinara sauce and chop them in half. Add them to a toasted hoagie and spoon about 1/2 cup of sauce over the top of the meatballs. Top with 2 slices of provolone. Repeat with the remaining rolls and meatballs.
Bake the hoagies until the cheese is well melted, about 5 minutes. Top with basil and banana peppers, if desired. Serve immediately.