Italian-American
Meatball Subs
Beef meatballs bake until the centers reach 160°F, then simmer briefly in marinara. They go into toasted rolls under melted mozzarella.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Baking the meatballs is less messy than frying them in batches.
- A short simmer in sauce seasons the outside without undoing the crust.
- Toasted rolls hold the sauce better than soft untoasted ones.
- Mozzarella melts under the broiler in a couple of minutes.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Thaw the ground beef in the refrigerator if it was frozen. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with foil and lightly oil it.
- 2
Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Roll into 12 meatballs and set them on the pan.
- 3
Bake 14 to 18 minutes. The meatballs are done when the center of the largest one reads 160°F and no pink remains. Cook longer if the thermometer is low.
- 4
Warm the marinara in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and simmer 5 minutes so the sauce clings. The meat is already cooked through and stays cooked through.
- 5
Split the rolls, brush the cut sides with olive oil, and toast them under the broiler or in a skillet until golden.
- 6
Fill each roll with 3 meatballs and sauce. Top with mozzarella and broil 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve hot.
Pro tips
- Do not press the meatballs dense. A light hand keeps them tender.
- Toast the rolls. Soft bread collapses under marinara.
- Watch the broiler. Mozzarella goes from melted to burned quickly.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey. Cook those meatballs to 160°F and cooked through.
- Mozzarella
- Provolone slices.
- Hoagie rolls
- A short baguette cut into 4 lengths.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate meatballs and sauce for up to 3 days. Store the rolls separate so they do not get soggy.
Reheating
Simmer the meatballs in sauce until a center reads 165°F, then rebuild the sub on a freshly toasted roll.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 544
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Oven, Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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