Meatball Subs

Need a crowd pleasing dinner? Meatball Subs for the Win!

This is such a great weeknight meal!  Lightly toasted garlic submarine buns are filled with homemade meatballs covered in a rich tomato sauce (store bought is fine!), then topped with loads of mozzarella cheese and broiled till hot and bubbly! These are always highly anticipated in our house…..everyone loves them, they feed a crowd and are easy to make!

It’s meaty, saucy and cheesy! Perfect for a weekend lunch, dinner or to serve at your next game day party!

While I can't guarantee that these subs won't be a double napkin affair, the secret to keeping the meatballs in place:is to hollow out some of the centre before toasting them. This creates pockets for the meatballs to sit in so they won't escape when you take a bite!

Meatball Subs

Ingredients:

• 6 sub rolls
  1/2 cup torn bread (from the rolls)

• 1 lb ground pork

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt 

• ‍1/4 cup shredded parm

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp basil

• ¼ tsp chili flakes

• ½ tsp fennel seed

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 small white onion, divided (½ minced or grated finely, ½ cut into slices)

• 1 jar marinara sauce, my go-to is Rao’s

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 green pepper, sliced

Directions:

1. Slice your rolls on the top, down the middle. Scoop out some of the inside to use as filling and to make space for the balls later. Put 1/2 cup of the filling into a large bowl and set the rolls aside. 

2. To the bowl, add 1/2 grated white onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 egg, 2 tbsp plain greek yogurt, 1/4 cup shredded parm, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, 1/4 tsp chili flakes, 1/2 tsp fennel seed, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and mix well. Add 1 lb ground pork and mix it in until incorporated.

3. Portion meatballs into about 20 balls (ping pong ball sized). Dip your fingers into water when you're shaping to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands. Be very gentle as you mix - you want to mix with your fingertips and not knead the mixture like dough!

4. To a large frying pan over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add balls in and brown on all sides. Once browned, add in marinara sauce and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until balls are cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, sauté the peppers and remaining onion in a little olive oil to soften. Set aside.

6. Turn broiler onto low and toast buns opened for 1 minute to firm them up a bit. Add 3-5 balls each with as much additional sauce as you'd like. Top with the sautéed peppers and shredded mozzarella, and put under broiler for 3-5 minutes until cheese is melty and golden.
   

I am such a sucker for a weeknight meal that comes together in a flash and is such a crowd pleaser! These Meatball Subs are a shining example of all things quick and delicious. Please share your comments in you make this recipe. I love to hear if you tried it!