American · Lunch

Meatball Sub

Baked meatballs simmered in a quick tomato sauce, loaded into a roll that has been toasted with cheese first so it does not disintegrate. The toasted cheese layer is a waterproof membrane and that is exactly why it is there.

1 hr total Serves 4 servings Easy
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Meatball Sub

Photograph credit: Pizza Meatball sub, Firehouse Subs by PenPineapplePinniped · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Meatball Sub, in preparation
Meatball Sub, in preparation

Photograph credit: Vegetarian Meatball Sub (+ Fries) by Thriving Vegetarian · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Making Meatball Sub

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  1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F and line a tray.

  2. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, then mix with both minces, the egg, Parmigiano, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix with your hands only until combined.

  3. Roll into 20 balls of about 45 g and space them on the tray.

  4. Bake 15 minutes, until browned on top but not cooked through.

  5. Meanwhile heat the oil in a wide pan and cook the garlic and chilli flakes 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and simmer 12 minutes.

  6. Slide the baked meatballs and any tray juices into the sauce and simmer gently 12 minutes more, turning once, until cooked through. Stir in the basil.

  7. Open the rolls, scatter half the mozzarella over the cut faces, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes until melted and bubbling. This layer is what keeps the bread from going to pulp.

  8. Load 5 meatballs and a generous spoonful of sauce into each roll.

  9. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmigiano and grill 3 minutes more, until melted and blistered.

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Notes for Getting It Right

  • Grill the cheese into the bread first. Skip it and you will be eating the sandwich with a fork.
  • Do not over-sauce. Enough to coat the meatballs, not enough to pool.
  • The meatballs and sauce freeze well; the assembly takes six minutes from there.

Changing the Recipe

  • An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.
  • Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

What Goes With Meatball Sub

  • A cold lager
  • Pickled peppers
  • A sharp green salad

Storing & Reheating Meatball Sub

Meatballs in sauce keep 4 days refrigerated and freeze for 3 months. Assemble to order.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.

1025Calories
71gProtein
66gCarbs
53gFat
5gFibre
15gSugar
2620mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.

First published ; last changed .