Go Back
–+ servings
Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwiches Recipe
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwiches

Cheesy Meatball Sub Sandwiches with turkey (or you can use ground beef/sausage) meatballs and a simple homemade marinara are perfect for a lazy weekend or a big game party like the Super Bowl.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr 25 mins
Course: Dinner & Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: game day sandwiches, Super Bowl sandwiches, turkey meatballs
Servings: 10
Calories: 668kcal
Author: Lisa Hatfield

Ingredients

Cheesy Meatball Sub Components:

  • 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

Turkey Veggie Meatballs:

  • 3 lbs lean ground turkey 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
  • 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs or ground almonds
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Pulse rough chopped veggies in batches in Cuisinart or grate on box grater: 1 sm onion, 5 carrots, 5 celery stalks. Process veggies in Cuisinart, and place into a large mixing bowl to make more room for the next veggie. Process the next veggie until done.
  • Add ½ cup finely chopped basil, ½ cup finely chopped parsley into the mixing bowl, toss together.
  • Heat large pan, 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".
  • Scoop meatballs: Use a 2" ice-cream scoop onto a large baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The ice cream scoop makes the meatballs all the same size, and is faster than hand rolling.
  • Roast: 400 degrees 25-30 minutes until golden brown with crispy edges.

Make the 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 the meatball 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 into oven under broiler until the cheese has melted and turned golden about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on these under the broiler.
  • Serve immediately and enjoy.

Notes

This recipe makes about 44 2" meatballs, freeze extra skinny turkey veggie meatballs on sheet pans either cooked or uncooked and place in zip bags or use a Food Saver vacuum sealer for fast easy future meals.

Nutrition

Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1580mg | Potassium: 1184mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 11380IU | Vitamin C: 23.9mg | Calcium: 444mg | Iron: 6.2mg