Enjoy this homemade meatball sub recipe – all made from scratch. Delicious, handmade meatballs are placed on sourdough bread rolls, smothered with sauce and cheese, and toasted until they reach melty, saucy bliss.
If you want the ultimate crowd pleasing meal, it’s this one. I promise, you won’t hear one complaint. How could anyone complain when you hand them a meatball sub on a soft, homemade sourdough hoagie, though.
Sure, you could use store-bought bread and meatballs. But I promise you this: making them from scratch is not only more cost-effective, it’s also far more delicious.
Now, you could go all out and use pasta sauce that you canned from garden-fresh tomatoes, or you could use fresh mozzarella that you made yourself. But truly, we need balance, and in this season of life, it’s not all doable for me either.
Maybe one day we will get there, but I’m perfectly content with quality organic pasta sauce and store-bought cheese.
To make this recipe a little more efficient, double the meatball recipe. Use half for this recipe and use the other half for homemade pasta and meatballs.
Tips:
- Make sure to watch the meatball sub in the oven while it is broiling. It is easy to forget about it and burn the sandwiches.
- This recipe can easily be made ahead of time. Make the rolls and meatballs the day before, then the next day all you have to do is heat the meatballs in the sauce and assemble the sandwiches.
- Buy block cheese and shred it yourself to avoid the added not-so-great ingredients.
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What do you put on a meatball sub?
There are three essentials for a meatball sub: meatballs, cheese, and sauce. You can add other ingredients, but these make the sandwich what it is!
What veggies are good on a meatball sub?
Zucchini, spinach, kale, arugula, onion, sliced tomatoes, fermented jalapeños, sautéed mushrooms. You could also serve it with a side of fermented carrots or crispy potatoes.
Is it better to bake or fry meatballs?
Either will work just fine, though pan frying is quicker. While baking takes longer, you will have more even cooking, and it’s nice to not be standing over a pan turning meatballs.
Can you cook acidic foods like tomato sauce in a cast iron pan?
As long as you have well-seasoned cast iron, then it is fine to cook acidic foods in it. If your cast iron is not well seasoned or acidic foods are cooked too long in it, that can create problems.
Ingredients You Will Need To Make Meatball Subs:
Sourdough sandwich rolls: I prefer to make these from scratch. If you are in a pinch, you can use store-bought rolls.
Pasta sauce: Just pick your favorite store-bought or homemade sauce.
Shredded mozzarella cheese: I’ve also done this with sliced mozzarella. You can substitute with a different milk cheese if needed, but there is just something about the gooey, melty, mozzarella cheese that is perfect for meatball sandwiches.
Homemade Meatball Ingredients:
Ground beef: Always make sure to buy the best quality you can afford. Pasture raised-and-finished beef is the healthiest option and has higher levels of omega 3’s and CLA.
Eggs: Eggs help bind the meatballs together. We always use the eggs we get right from the homestead. It doesn’t get more farm to table than that!
Freshly grated parmesan: This adds a delicious, subtle flavor, and also an additional cheesy goodness.
Onion: Not only do onions provide lots of delicious flavor, but they also add moisture.
Flour or bread crumbs: Einkorn flour or AP flour work well. You could also use 1/2 cup bread crumbs, if you have some leftover or stale sourdough bread.
Italian seasoning blend: This blend adds that delicious, classic Italian flavor to the meatballs.
How To Make The Best Meatball Sub Recipe
If you’re making the sourdough hoagie rolls from scratch, start the day before and follow the instructions on this post.
In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, diced onion, seasonings, and flour.
Mix well with your hands (the best tool in your kitchen!) until completely combined.
Roll into 1″ balls and place in a cast iron skillet or on a 9×13 baking sheet. I prefer to bake the meatballs with this recipe.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The edges should start to turn brown.
Add pasta sauce to meatballs and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Cut hoagies in half and toast them (cut side down on a hot cast iron skillet) for about one minute.
Add hoagies to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Smother hoagies with some pasta sauce; top with meatballs and shredded cheese (sliced mozzarella will also work).
Broil meatball sub for about 2 minutes. You are really just trying to melt the cheese. Make sure to set a timer, as they will quickly burn.
Find More Delicious Meal Ideas Straight From The Farmhouse Kitchen:
- Chicken Marsala Soup
- Homemade Hamburger Helper
- Skillet Pork Chops With Garlic And Butter
- The Best Shepherd’s Pie From Scratch
- Round Steak With Caramelized Onions And Mushrooms
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Meatball Sub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 recipe sourdough sandwich rolls, or 6 store-bought rolls
- 25 ounces prepared organic pasta sauce, or 3 cups homemade sauce
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
For the meatballs:
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 onion, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup einkorn flour or AP flour, you could also use 1/2 cup bread crumbs, if you have some leftover or stale sourdough bread.
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
Instructions
- If making the sourdough hoagie rolls from scratch, start the day before and follow the instructions on the post.
In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, diced onion, seasonings, and flour.
Mix well with your hands until completely combined.
Roll into 1″ balls and place in a cast iron skillet or on a 9×13 baking sheet. - Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The edges should start to turn brown.
Add pasta sauce to meatballs and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Cut hoagies in half and toast them (cut side down on a hot cast iron skillet) for about one minute.
Add hoagies to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Smother buns with some pasta sauce and top with meatballs and shredded cheese.
Broil meatball sub for about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn.
Notes
- You can easily substitute sliced cheese for the shredded.
- Pinched for time? Swap the homemade rolls for store-bought.
- Make a double batch of the meatballs for dinner a different night.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We had these tonight for dinner and my entire family loved them. I made the sourdough rolls too. The dough was very wet and I thought they were not going to turn out– but they did! I think bread is more forgiving than I realize. I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I am so happy to see this recipe. Since my granddaughter wants meatballs every day… I will add this recipe to the mix;) meatball subs, meatball pizza, meatball stew, meatball …..
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing the recipe!