Who can say NO to saucy Italian Meatball Subs? Absolutely nobody! I make a batch of homemade meatballs every few months and freeze them on a sheet pan. When frozen, I drop them into a plastic bag and seal them up for a future meal. They are great with pasta, dropped into soup or on a yummy Italian Meatball Sub for a dynamite weekend lunch.
Sometimes we just get a craving for something meaty and satisfying. These Italian Meatball Subs fit the bill. They are juicy and delicious and only take minutes to assemble once you have your meatballs made. I used a jar of my favorite pasta sauce to make it even easier.
The meatballs are the focus in this sandwich. Ground beef, onions, Italian seasonings, egg, bread crumbs and a splash of milk make them moist and flavorful. Give this recipe a try and serve these cheesy subs at your next tailgate party or game-day gathering. Everyone will be a fan!
Italian Meatball Subs
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 25 ounce jar of pasta sauce
- extra shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese for topping
- 5 or 6 quality Italian sub buns
How to make Italian Meatballs?
- Place the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and mix just until combined.
- Add the canola oil to a skillet over medium heat. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, roll meatballs and place them in the skillet.
- Turn the meatballs every 2 minutes to brown on all sides. Cook each meatball for a total of 6 minutes. Place meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper to cool. Recipe makes 18-20 meatballs.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, place the meatballs in a plastic bag and keep it the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Assemble Italian Meatball Subs?
- Planning for 3-4 meatballs per sub, put frozen meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat and add enough pasta or tomato sauce to cover the meatballs in the skillet. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Place 3-4 meatballs on each sub bun and top with additional shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
- These can also be done in the slow cooker. Add the meatballs and the sauce and cook on low for two hours or until ready to serve.
What buns should I use?
- The bread you use is so important. Why? Because it can make or literally break a good sandwich. The bread should be sturdy and delicious, not just something you grabbed in a hurry.
- Take a minute to get good quality, fresh buns from your grocery store bakery. Pick a sub bun that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. If you use something from the bread aisle, it is likely that the sauce will soak through the bread and make the sandwich very difficult to eat, if not impossible.
- Make sure you select a sub bun that can stand up to the sauce and everyone can wrap their hands and mouth around it. The bun really DOES matter when making a good sandwich.
Italian Meatball Subs
Homemade Italian Meatballs are great with pasta, dropped into soup, or on a yummy Italian Meatball Sub for a dynamite weekend lunch.
Servings: 5 subs
Ingredients
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 25 ounce jar of pasta sauce
- extra shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese for topping
- 5 or 6 quality Italian sub buns
Instructions
- Place the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and mix just until combined.
- Add the canola oil to a skillet over medium heat. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, roll meatballs and place them in the skillet.
- Turn the meatballs every 2 minutes to brown on all sides. Cook each meatball for a total of 6 minutes. Place meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper to cool. Recipe makes 18-20 meatballs.
- Place the baking sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, place the meatballs in a plastic bag and keep it the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
What buns should I use?
- The bread you use is so important. Why? Because it can make or literally break a good sandwich. The bread should be sturdy and delicious, not just something you grabbed in a hurry.
- Take a minute to get good quality, fresh buns from your grocery store bakery. Pick a sub bun that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. If you use something from the bread aisle, it is likely that the sauce will soak through the bread and make the sandwich very difficult to eat, if not impossible.
- Make sure you select a sub bun that can stand up to the sauce and everyone can wrap their hands and mouth around it. The bun really DOES matter when making a good sandwich.