Meatball Subs

with some speecy-spicy meat-a-balls

There are few childhood memories that come back quite as vividly as making meatballs with my mom. I remember the feel of the gooey mixture on my hands as my sister and I mixed and rolled the meatballs.

We weren’t using our meatballs for sandwiches— my mom put them directly into her signature 24-hour sauce (along with pork chops, chicken legs, and fresh Italian sausage— gah, so good!) But meatball subs are one of my favorite things to eat, too, right after mom’s spaghetti and meatballs.

Making meatballs can be a great activity to do with your kids, if they’re the right age. (Tiny ones might not be able to do this safely since they’ll probably want to taste their fingers!) Of course, if you’re short on time, the frozen version works perfectly fine here– I’m including ingredients for both in the Instacart lists.

I have a goofy mom, and even though childhood was a long time ago, I can still hear her voice in my head, saying ridiculous things like “speecy-spicy meat-a-balls!” and making us all laugh. I dedicate this recipe to her— even though the meat-a-balls aren’t really speecy-spicy. (Love you, mom!)

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Meatball subs
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 6

For Dietary Restrictions

• Gluten free: use gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free sandwich buns

• Dairy free: omit milk (halve breadcrumbs); use dairy-free cheese

Kids Can Help

• Measure ingredients, mix together & form meatballs (older kids), wash vegetables, assemble sandwiches

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 1 lb ground beef

• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs

• ¼ cup milk

• 1 tsp each salt, garlic powder, and oregano

• 1 egg

For the sandwiches:

• 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce (I like Rao’s)

• 1 loaf Italian bread (long, not a boule) or 6 hoagie or ciabatta buns

• 8 oz sliced Provolone cheese

• Veggie toppings like spinach, green pepper, & red onion

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Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2

Mix up the meatballs ingredients thoroughly until they reach uniform consistency. Roll out into small meatballs about the size of a ping-pong ball (or a little smaller) and place on a baking sheet; bake for 18 minutes or until the center registers at 165 degrees. You’ll end up with about 15-20 meatballs.

Step 3

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat; melt 1 Tbsp butter, then add the shrimp. Don’t stir for a few minutes so the undersides can brown a little bit. Season the tops with ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp garlic powder. Flip and cook until all shrimp are fully cooked (pink). Turn off heat and add 1 tsp chili powder.

Step 4

While the meatballs are baking, heat the marinara sauce on the stove.

Step 5

Wash and slice the green pepper; peel and slice the purple onion.

Step 6

Slice the bread lengthwise and toast if desired. (If you want to go the extra mile, spread with butter and a sprinkle of garlic powder before toasting!)

Step 7

Assemble the sandwiches: layer cheese, vegetables, and meatballs onto the bottom piece of bread. Spread sauce evenly over the top before adding the top piece of bread.

Tip: For younger eaters, you can serve the sandwich deconstructed with sliced meatballs, thin strips of green pepper, bread, sauce for dipping, and a slice of cheese.