Italian Meatball Subs
These Italian Meatball Subs are going to be your family's new sandwich obsession! Handmade beef and Italian sausage meatballs cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce and served on top of toasted bread rolls with melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It doesn't get any better!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with lid
- Slotted spoon or tongs
- Baking Sheet
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15 fat ratio
- 1 lb ground Italian pork sausage
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 1.5 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- salt & pepper to taste
- Parmesan rind optional
- ¼ cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
To assemble the sandwiches
- 8 Hoagie rolls, buns or a large loaf of french bread
- olive oil
- garlic powder optional
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- parmesan cheese, shredded or grated optional
- fresh basil, sliced optional
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs
- Combine egg, minced onion, crushed garlic, grated parmesan, Panko breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a small mixing bowl until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl add ground beef, ground sausage and the cheese and egg mixture. Use your hands to mix the seasoning into the meat until well incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.
- Form meatballs using about 2 tbsp of the mixture for each ball, about 19-22 meatballs.
- Add a couple tbsp of olive oil to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium high until hot and shimmering. Once hot add about half of the meatballs and cook undisturbed for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the meatballs are browned but not cooked through. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to take the meatballs out of the pot and place on a plate. Repeat the process until all the meatballs have been browned and then set the plate aside. Do not wash the pot.
Prepare the sauce
- In the same pot where the meatballs will seared add the diced onion and cook over medium to medium high heat for about 5 minutes, scraping up any brown bits.
- Add crushed garlic and continue to cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add 1 ½ tbsp of ItalianSeasoning and the tomato paste. Cook over medium high heat for about one minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Season with a little salt and pepper and add in one parmesan rind (optional).
- Nestle the browned meatballs into the sauce, being careful not to break them up. Bring the sauce to a low boil over medium high heat. Then turn the heat down to low to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Then remove the pot from the heat and mix in the fresh basil.
Assemble the sandwiches
- While the meatballs are cooking preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the buns lengthwise, but not all the way the through. Brush the insides of the buns with olive oil and sprinkle with a little garlic powder. Toast the buns open side up at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.
- To assemble, place a few slices of the mozzarella on the bottom of the bun. Then spoon on some of the sauce and place 3-4 meatballs on top. Top the meatballs with a few more slices of the mozzarella. Then melt the cheese by placing the assembled sandwiches back on the baking sheet and cook in the 400 degree oven for a few minutes until melted.
- Top with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil and serve. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!