Last Updated August 7th, 2022 at 10:55 pm by Lisa
Cheesy Meatball Subs are loaded with gooey melted cheese and homemade marinara sauce. Use frozen or homemade ground beef, turkey, or pork meatballs.
Meatball sub sandwiches are classic comfort food, and so worth the effort. Toast them under the broiler to get the bread crispy and the cheese gooey, golden, and melty...
Meatball Sub Recipes
Take the time to make some scratch meatballs. They are so handy to have on hand to make a quick meal on a busy night like spaghetti or an Italian meatball soup. You can easily make chicken, lamb, or beef meatballs with ground meat found at your local grocery store.
This is a favorite recipe, I have now made it countless times over the past decade. The first time I made my own meatballs with sauteed vegetables and parmesan cheese inside, it was a game-changer. Besides adding flavor, it keeps the meatballs tender. Classic meatballs have egg and breadcrumbs and don't get the depth of flavor and richness.
Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwiches
1 package of sliced mozzarella cheese
3 baguettes sliced open, cut into 3 or 4 sections (or sub rolls)
25-30 homemade meatballs (or frozen bag of meatballs)
16 oz Marinara Sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
And receive a free recipe ebook as our thank you.
How To Make Meatballs For Subs
When you have some extra time, make homemade meatballs. It is a great way to have multiple easy dinner ideas ready to go. Sure these take a little effort, but they are so worth it. These are nutritious, healthy, and tasty.
3 lbs lean ground turkey (ground beef or Italian pork sausage)
1 small yellow onion
5 carrots
5 celery stalks cut into 2-3" pieces
½ cup finely chopped basil
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 small can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs or ground almonds
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rough chop veggies in batches and pulse in a food processor or grate on a box grater. 1 small onion, 5 carrots, and 5 celery stalks. Process veggies in batches and place ground vegetables into a large mixing bowl as you go.
- Next dice ½ cup finely chopped basil, and ½ cup finely chopped parsley into the mixing bowl, and toss together.
- Heat a large pan or heavy skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the veggies for 3 minutes on medium high heat, keep stirring, then turn off the heat.
- Place the sautéed veggie mixture in a large mixing bowl, and cool. Next, add 3 lbs ground turkey (or ground beef, Italian pork sausage etc.), 1 cup of breadcrumbs (or ground almonds), and ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese.
- Stir and completely mix with 2 forks to "fluff" the mixture.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a 2" ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs. The ice cream scoop makes the meatballs all the same size, and is faster than hand rolling.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown with crispy edges.
Italian Marinara Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion diced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
28 oz can diced tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy pan, add diced onions, saute until soft 5 minutes, then all 6 seasonings, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Stir until the marinara sauce thickens about 10-15 minutes. Keep marinara sauce warm.
PRO TIP: This marinara sauce is very easy. I recommend you make a double batch and freeze the extra for spaghetti and your favorite meatballs another night, you will look like a kitchen hero on busy weeknights.
Ingredient Tips & Swaps
Meatballs: Grab a bag of Italian-style meatballs at the store or make some the whole family will love using ground turkey, chicken, pork, or beef.
Bread: Try to use good French baguettes or crusty rolls. Split down the middle and cut into 3-4 portions. Hoagie buns, sub rolls, hot dog buns, soft hoagie rolls, sandwich rolls, or slider buns will all work.
San Marzano Canned Tomatoes make incredible chopped tomatoes for the marinara sauce, I highly recommend this brand!
Tomato paste adds a deep level of rich concentrated sweet tomato flavor.
Kinds of Cheese: I used slices of mozzarella, it melts nicely and gets golden which looks great and will make your mouth water. You could use provolone, Havarti, cheddar, Monterey, or pepper jack cheese.
Crockpot Meatball Subs: For an easy marinara sauce shortcut, you can add a jar of spaghetti sauce to a crock pot or slow cooker with frozen meatballs. Add some Italian seasoning, diced onions, and garlic, and let it cook for 4 hours on low. Then just load the tender meatballs and sauce onto buns with cheese and put them under the broiler until melted and golden brown.
Meatball Sub Toppings
- Slices of Provolone Cheese
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Basil Ribbons
- Marinara Sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
- Alfredo Sauce
- Shredded or Slices of Mozzarella Cheese
- Saute Onions and Bell Peppers
Build The Hot Sub Sandwiches
- Place 3-4 meatballs on the sliced open baguette or roll, and cover with a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce.
- Top with slices of mozzarella and place meatball sandwiches into the oven on a sheet pan under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns golden about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on these under the broiler so they don't burn!
- Serve hot and enjoy. You can add some fresh salad, fruit, or a side of chips like tortillas or potato chips.
- Store any extra meatballs or marinara sauce in an airtight container or use your food saver and tuck them in the freezer for a fast dinner.
Marinara sauce: typically does not contain meat while spaghetti sauce usually does. It is traditionally used as a dipping sauce. You can use the marinara sauce as a spaghetti sauce or with any kind of pasta.
Spaghetti sauce: uses all the same base ingredients as a pasta sauce or marinara sauce, and then takes it to the next level, adding proteins and/or more vegetables and seasonings for flavor.
Pasta Sauce: It can have more herbs and seasonings, is a thin sauce, and commercial brands often add meat.
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Cheesy Meatball Subs
Ingredients
Cheesy Meatball Sub
- 1 package sliced mozzarella cheese
- 3 baguettes sliced open and cut into 3 or 4 sections (or sub rolls cut open)
- 25-30 frozen or homemade meatballs see meatball recipe below
- 16 oz Marinara Sauce see marinara recipe below
Meatballs
- 3 lbs lean ground turkey or ground beef or Italian pork sausage
- 1 small onion
- 5 carrots any color
- 5 celery stalks cut into 2-3" pieces
- ½ cup finely chopped basil
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup breadcrumbs or ground almonds
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Italian Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 6 oz can tomato paste
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rough chop veggies in batches and pulse in a food processor or grate on a box grater. 1 small onion, 5 carrots, 5 celery stalks. Process veggies in batches, and place ground vegetables into a large mixing bowl as you go.
- Next dice ½ cup finely chopped basil, and ½ cup finely chopped parsley into the mixing bowl, toss together.
- Heat a large pan or heavy skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the veggies 3 minutes on medium high heat, keep stirring, then turn off the heat.
- Place the sautéed veggie mixture in a large mixing bowl, and cool. Next, add 3 lbs ground turkey (or ground beef, Italian pork sausage etc.), 1 cup breadcrumbs (or ground almonds) and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Stir and completely mix with 2 forks to "fluff" the mixture.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a 2" ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs. The ice cream scoop makes the meatballs all the same size, and is faster than hand rolling.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown with crispy edges.
Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy pan, add diced onions, saute until soft 5 minutes, then all 6 seasonings, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Stir until the marinara sauce thickens about 10-15 minutes. Keep marinara sauce warm.
Assemble Easy Meatball Subs
- Place 3-4 meatballs on the sliced open baguette or roll, and cover with a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce.
- Top with slices of mozzarella and place meatball sandwiches into oven on a sheet pan under broiler until the cheese melts and turns golden about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on these under the broiler so they don't burn!
- Serve hot and enjoy. You can add some fresh salad, fruit, or a side of chips like tortilla or potato chips.
- Store any extra meatballs or marinara sauce in an airtight container or use your food saver and tuck them in the freezer for a fast dinner.
Notes
meatballs
This recipe makes about forty-four 2" meatballs. Freeze extra meatballs on sheet pans either cooked or uncooked, and place them in zip bags or use a Food Saver vacuum sealer for fast easy future meals. Grab a bag of Italian-style meatballs at the store or make some the whole family will love using ground turkey, chicken, pork, or beef.Bread
Try to use good French baguettes or crusty rolls. Cut long rolls into portions. Hoagie buns, sub rolls, hot dog buns, soft hoagie rolls, sandwich rolls, or slider buns will all work.San Marzano Canned Tomatoes
Make incredible chopped tomatoes for the marinara sauce, I highly recommend this brand!Tomato Paste
Adds a deep level of rich concentrated sweet tomato flavor.Kinds of Cheese
I used slices of mozzarella, it melts nicely and gets golden which looks great. You could use provolone, Havarti, cheddar, Monterey, or pepper jack cheese.Crockpot Meatball Subs
For an easy marinara sauce shortcut, you can add a jar of spaghetti sauce to a crock pot or slow cooker with frozen meatballs. Add some Italian seasoning, onions, and garlic, and let it cook for 4 hours on low. Then just load the tender meatballs and sauce onto buns with cheese and put them under the broiler until melted and golden brown.Meatball Sub Toppings
- Slices of Provolone Cheese
- Grated Parmesan
- Fresh Basil Ribbons
- Marinara Sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)
- Alfredo Sauce
- Shredded or Slices of Mozzarella Cheese
- Saute Onions and Bell Peppers
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It's really awesome.
I made a double batch of this recipe. Such a time saver! Now a have dinner for next week too. Everyone loved these meatball subs.
This was probably the BEST marinara sauce I've ever had! And who doesn't LOVE homemade meatball subs?! So darn good!
These were fantastic! Made the meatballs ahead and froze them as suggested in your note. Such a stress saver! I also made the sauce the day before so I pretty much just had to assemble and bake and voila -- totally delicious meatball subs for everyone! Mommy magic. (Thanks for the help and the tip Lisa!)