Homemade Meatball Sub Sandwiches

5 from 3 votes

Homemade meatball sub sandwiches that might just make you cry! Simmering the meatballs in the sauce are the key to this recipe.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 6-inch Subs

Calories: 337kcal

Author: Spencer Klickman

Ingredients

The Meatballs

1 lb. 80/20 Ground Beef
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage Loose ground or casings removed
2 Eggs Beaten
½ cup Parmesan Cheese Grated
¼ cup Flat Leaf Parsley Finely Minced
1 cup Breadcrumbs Fresh made from 2 – 3 slices of white bread, toasted and blended, or store bought.
Juice and Zest from ½ Lemon
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk Plain Yogurt Not Greek Yogurt
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
1-2 teaspoon Neutral Oil

The Sauce

1 - 2 teaspoon Neutral Oil If needed
1 Yellow Onion Diced
4 cloves Garlic Minced or Grated
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
28 oz. can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
1 tablespoon Dried Basil
1 tablespoon Parmesan Grated
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 pinch Sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt Plus more to taste
½ teaspoon Black Pepper Plus more to taste

Sandwich Assembly

Batch Sub Rolls - Split Homemade or Store-bought
Meatballs and Sauce
Whole Milk Low Moisture Mozzarella Sliced or Fresh Grated (Not Pre-Shredded)
Parmesan Grated
Parsley Finely Minced for Garnish

Instructions

The Meatballs

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, beaten eggs, grated parmesan, minced parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, whole milk yogurt, salt and black pepper. Thoroughly combine the ingredients until the mixture becomes tacky and sticks to the palm of your hand if held out horizontally.
Using a tablespoon scoop, measure out 50 grams of meat mixture and roll into a ball and place on a plate or baking sheet. The meatballs should be approximately the size of a ping pong ball.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 - 2 teaspoons of neutral oil to the pan. In two separate batches, add meatballs in a single layer and leave undisturbed for 3-5 minutes until the sides are seared fairly heavily. Flip meatballs and sear an additional 3 - 5 minutes. (The meatballs do not need to be cooked all the way through at this point). Remove meatballs and set aside.

The Sauce

In the same pan that the meatballs were cooked in, add 1 - 2 more teaspoons of neutral oil. (Only do this if the pan is dry - some of the fat should have rendered out of the meatballs). Add the diced onions and a small pinch of salt, stirring occasionally. Sautee for 5- 8 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the onion releases its liquid. The onions should be soft, with a little color on them, but not browned.
Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant, but not browned.
Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir until it starts to stick, approx. 2 -3 minutes.
Add the can of whole peeled tomatoes and finish deglazing the pan. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Add the basil, oregano, parmesan, and unsalted butter, stirring until incorporated and butter is melted. Bring the sauce to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low - low.
Add the meatballs back to the pan, and simmer until sauce is thick and meatballs are cooked all the way through. This should take at minimum, one hour. Once sauce is thickened to your likening, taste and adjust for seasoning. Adjust with salt, and pepper. Sometimes canned tomatoes benefit from a small pinch of sugar as well.

Meatball Sub Assembly

Split rolls with a bread knife on one side. Add desired amount of meatballs and sauce on top. (Try to cover as much of the bread as possible. Leaving bare spots can cause the bread to burn under the broiler when the cheese is melted).
Cover the meatballs and sauce with sliced or fresh grated whole milk, low moisture mozzarella and grated parmesan. Place sandwiches on a sheet pan and place under a broiler on high for 2 - 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Remove from oven and garnish with minced parsley. Slice in half and serve warm.

Notes

For an added step of sandwich shop authenticity, you can wrap these in parchment paper when they come out of the oven and let the residual heat steam the bun for a few minutes.

Serve with extra sauce on the side and air fryer garlic parmesan chips!

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