If you love a classic Italian-style sandwich, this easy meatball sub recipe is for you! These homemade meatball subs are way better than takeout. The ingredients are fresh, customizable and full of flavor! Years ago, when I lived in Toronto, we used to go to the St. Lawrence Market and get these for breakfast! There was always a lineup!
My friends and I took a cooking class from an Italian restaurant owner over 20 years ago and we all still make variations of this recipe. It is THE BEST meatball recipe! It's a ricotta cheese meatball and it'd so tender and delicious!! To make this recipe easier for you, I have included what type of meat to use, how to cook the meatballs and how to serve them in this meatball sub sandwich post.
If you are looking for some different (but still really easy) Italian style recipes, this homemade garlic bread has the family running in at the first sniff of the fragrant garlic butter. Or try this Margherita naan bread pizza, made with basil, tomato and mozzarella.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Sub
Easy to make. If you have the meatballs premade, this recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. This is also a great recipe to make for a group!
Full of flavor. Juicy meatballs, rich marinara, and melty provolone cheese.
Customizable. Choose different bread, cheese, or sauces.
Ingredients Needed
Of course you will need rolls, cheese and marinara sauce to make meatball subs!
Meatballs homemade meatballs, bought from the deli, or thawed frozed ones.
Sauce I used to make my tomato sauce from scratch. Now I recommend Rao's Marinara sauce. It has simple ingredients with no additives.
Sandwich Rolls or buns with substance. Think more along the line a crusty European type roll. I actually also love French bread or Bagettes, just make sure they aren't too hard. The sauce will soften them. Hoagie rolls or sub rolls also work but I often lightly toast before assembling. You don't want something like a hot dog bun (it will get mushy and will fall apart).
Cheese Provolone is my favorite for anything I make that is Italian(ish). Mozzarella cheese works too. They are both nice and 'melty'.
Instructions
Optional - Toast the sub rolls with garlic butter.
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Warm the meatballs in marinara sauce.
Assembling the meatball sub:
- Add sauce. I put a light coat on both sides of the bun.
- Place meatballs. The meatballs in my ricotta meatball recipe are large. I normally cut them in ½ and add a little more sauce on them after cut.
- Top with cheese
- Melt cheese under the broiler for a golden, bubbly finish. Watch closely, the rolls can burn really quick.
Tips for the Best Meatball Sub Sandwich Recipe
- Use sturdy bread – Soft rolls can get soggy.
- Toast the buns – Adds texture and prevents sogginess.
- Don’t overfill – Too many meatballs can make the sandwich hard to eat. I cut the meatballs in ½ (so they aren't too big and so they stay in place).
- Melt the cheese properly – Broiling for just 1-2 minutes makes all the difference.
Variations and Substitutions
- Different Cheeses – Try cheddar, parmesan, or even a spicy pepper jack.
- Sauce Variations – Use pesto, or Alfredo for a twist. These are not traditional meatball sub/hoagies but they can be amazing with different sauces.
- Lower Carb Option – I sometimes remove some of the bread. It keeps the meatballs from moving around and removes some carb calories.
- Different Breads – Ciabatta, baguettes, or even a flatbread version.
Storing and Reheating Meatball Subs
- Storing: It is best to store meatballs and bread separately. The meatballs last 4 days in the fridge in a sealed container. I also freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm meatballs in sauce, toast the bread, then assemble fresh.
FAQs
Make the meatballs ahead but assemble just before serving. You don't want the bread getting soggy from the sauce.
As mentioned above, don't preassemble. Toasting the bread works too. If you love cheese, you can put cheese on both the top and bottom of the roll.
Other Italian Style Recipes
If you try this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how your meatball subs turned out
Recipe Card
Meatball Sub Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¼ cup grated parmigano cheese or parmesan
- ½ cup breadcrumbs moisten with ½ cup water
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon basil optional - from a tube, or pesto from a jar or finely chopped fresh basil. If I have it I add it, but the Italian breadcrumbs are already flavored.
Sauce (easy version)
- 1 24 oz Rao's Homemade Marinara
- Parmigiano cheese optional - to taste
- salt and pepper optional - to taste
- 6 leaves basil optional as garnish
For the Meatball Subs
- 4 rolls Italian Sub Rolls ciabatta rolls, or baguette style french bread are also good.
- 4 slices provolone cheese mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat sauce to a simmer (you don't want it bubbling too hard). As sauce heats up put your meatballs together.
- Prior to mixing all ingredients together, ensure you have added enough water to moisten breadcrumbs (about ¼ cup of water).Mix all meatball ingredients together. Form into golf ball sized balls.
- Gently place the meatballs into the gently simmering sauce, making sure they are not too packed.
- Stir meatballs very gently so they don't fall apart. You want to stir the bottom of the pot so the sauce doesn't scorch. Stir regularly.
- Check at the 20-minute point by cutting into a meatball, making sure there is very little pink (internal temp of meatballs should be 160℉).
Assembling Meatball Subs
- Sauce both sides of sliced roll.
- Cut meatballs in ½. I normally put 2 or 3 halves per roll.
- Top with a little more sauce.Add cheese. Broil for 1 - 2 minutes, watching closely for the cheese to melt.
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