Easy Meatball Subs
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This homemade Easy Meatball Sub recipe is hands down one of my family’s favorite sandwiches of all time. With only 4 main ingredients, this mouthwatering meal comes together in just 15 minutes. Be sure to double it and freeze a batch for later using our freezer meal instructions.
This post is sponsored by Hy-Vee (Columbia).
Why I Love This Sandwich So Much
This has been in our regular meal rotation for well over a decade now for good reasons. They are super fast to put together, can be prepped ahead of time, and all ages love them.
I still melt when I see these shots of my little boy enjoying meatball subs on our back porch over 10 years ago. ❤️ He’s a big teen boy now and still loves them. I hope your family enjoys them just as much!
Ingredients Needed
Hey-o! Only 4 main ingredients needed for this stellar meatball sub recipe. Make sure you have these items on hand before starting.
- Fully cooked meatballs – We suggest doubling the recipe of one of our favorite meatball recipes like our Italian Baked Meatballs, Healthy Beef Meatballs, or Turkey and Veggie Meatballs. Then you can eat one batch for dinner with pasta and use the others for these amazing hot sandwiches! If you really want to save time, buy pre-cooked frozen meatballs from the store. Always check the label and buy the ones with the fewest and most recognizable ingredients.
- Marinara sauce – Our homemade sauce is the bomb. Or save time by using a high-quality, store-bought sauce such as Raos brand.
- Whole wheat sub rolls or hotdog buns – We prefer using whole wheat (or at least partially whole wheat) rolls for extra nutrition. If you can’t find wheat sub rolls or wheat hotdog buns, another option is wheat bolillo rolls. If you use this kind of bread, hollow out the center like a canoe and place the meatballs inside. This type of bread is handy because the meatballs won’t slip out as easily.
- Provolone cheese – It’s helpful to cut the Provolone cheese slices in half. You can also use Mozzarella.
Where to Get Your Ingredients
We suggest grabbing the ingredients for this recipe at your local Hy-Vee, since they are well-stocked with all of these ingredients. When I’m in a time crunch, I use all-natural frozen meatballs and organic marinara sauce in the HealthMarket section.
Fast Weeknight Tip
To make these on busy week nights, I make a huge batch of Baked Italian Meatballs (or Air Fryer Meatballs) and Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce in advance on the weekend. Then, the sauce and meatballs are ready to go.
Putting the sandwich together and toasting it takes less than 15 minutes that way! I freeze any sauce and meatballs that are leftover or use them on spaghetti the next night.
How to Make Meatball Subs
With only 4 simple steps, you’ll have this meatball sandwich recipe on the table in 15 minutes or less.
Prep Meatballs, Etc
Place the meatballs and marinara sauce in a medium pot. Cover with a lid and warm over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
Toast Bread
Split open the rolls and lay the bread open on the sheet pan. If using wheat bolillos instead of traditional sub rolls, like our images below, you’ll need to hollow out the center. (See Notes in recipe below for more info about bread options.) Place sheet pan on the top rack under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes, until golden. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
Build Sandwiches
To build sandwiches, add warm meatballs to each sub. Top with enough warm marinara sauce to cover meatballs. Lay cut-up Provolone slices over the top of the sauce.
Broil Sandwiches
Place the sandwiches under the broiler until cheese is melted. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
Meatball Sub Sides
Try some of these delicious side dishes to serve with your Meatball Subs.
Make It a Freezer Meal Kit
This is a wonderful freezer meal to take to someone in need or to double and freeze a batch for your family for later.
As authors of two popular freezer meal cookbooks and a go-to website with 100+ of the best freezer meals, we’ve become experts at the most effective methods for freezing meals like these meatball subs.
How to Freeze For Later:
Place cooked meatballs and sauce in one freezer bag. Place cheese and rolls in separate freezer bags. Freeze together as a kit. Be sure to remove as much air as possible from the bags.
How to Prepare From Frozen:
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, follow cooking instructions.
FAQs
A sturdy, crusty Italian or hoagie roll works best for meatball subs. You want a bread that can hold up to the juicy meatballs and sauce without becoming too soggy. However, hot dog buns or ciabatta rolls can work too.
Tip: It helps to broil the inside of whatever bun you’re using first to prevent it from getting soggy.
Yes, you can prepare the meatballs ahead of time and either refrigerate them for a day or two, or freeze them for longer storage. Just make sure to reheat them thoroughly before assembling your subs.
Or, you can prepare this entire recipe as a freezer meal kit using our instructions in the post above.
Provolone or mozzarella cheese (either shredded or sliced) melts well over the top. Grated Parmesan cheese can add extra flavor.
More Meatball Recipes
We love meatballs because people of all ages love them, they are easy to make, and super easy to freeze for later. Try some of our other favorites.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Easy Meatball Sub Recipe
This homemade, super easy Meatball Sub recipe is sure to be hit in your home. Use whole grain buns, our Healthy Meatballs, and our Marinara Sauce to make them extra nutritious.
Ingredients
- 12–16 fully cooked meatballs (like our Italian Baked Meatballs, Healthy Beef Meatballs, or Turkey and Veggie Meatballs)
- About 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (or half of a store-bought jar)
- 4 whole wheat sub rolls (sub: hotdog buns)
- 4–6 slices Provolone cheese (sub: mozzarella cheese)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Place the meatballs and marinara sauce in a medium pot. Cover with a lid and warm over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Preheat the broiler. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Toast Bread: Split open the rolls (or hollow them out if using bolillos*) and lay the bread open on the sheet pan. Place sheet pan on the top rack under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes, until golden. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
- Build Sandwiches: To build sandwiches, add 3-4 warm meatballs to each sub. Top with enough warm marinara sauce, about 1/4 cup, to cover meatballs. Lay 1 to 1 1/2 Provolone slices over the top of the sauce, so sandwiches are entirely covered. If needed, cut slices in half to fit properly.
- Broil Sandwiches: Place the sandwiches under the broiler until cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
Freeze For Later:
Place cooked meatballs and sauce in one freezer bag. Place cheese and rolls in separate freezer bags. Freeze together as a kit. Be sure to remove as much air as possible from the bags.
Prepare From Frozen:
Thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, follow cooking instructions.
Notes/Tips
*What Kind of Bread to Use: We prefer using whole wheat (or at least partially whole wheat) rolls for extra nutrition. If you can’t find wheat sub rolls or wheat hotdog buns, another option is wheat Bolillo rolls. If you use this kind of bread, hollow out the center like a canoe and place the meatballs inside. This type of bread is handy because the meatballs won’t slip out as easily.
Where We Get Our Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves.
Gluten-Free Option: Use gluten-free ciabatta rolls or sandwich rolls. I like the Schar brand and can usually find those at Walmart or our local Hy-Vee store.
Dairy-Free Option: Use meatballs that have no cheese or milk in them. If you make one of our meatball recipes, follow the “dairy-free instructions” in the Notes section of the recipes. Then, either omit the Provolone cheese slices or use dairy-free cheese slices like Daiya brand.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
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Easy to follow and so good!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Delicious! Makes lots for freezing.
Yes! So glad you enjoy it, Heather. Thanks for leaving a review!
Meatball sandwiches are one of my favorite things to pick up from sub shops. This recipe is so easy and blows them all out of the water!
Just wanted to say that I love your blog and all these recipes! I’ve made (and passed on) many of these recipes and these homemade meatballs are my husband’s favorite. He keeps requesting I make them like every other week and he’s never liked my cooking before. 🙂
Ah, thanks. I’m blushing. 🙂
Yumm! Just made these tonight! Simple to put together & very tasty!
Awesome, Sara. So glad! I need to make these again soon.
Delicious! Had these for dinner last, and will definitely be making them again! I also added in a stalk of celery and a little green pepper. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yum! Sounds great. I’m so glad you’d enjoyed them. We had them this week too with no complaints.
Do you freeze the meatballs and sauce mixed together or separate?
Just had them for dinner and my toddlers loved them!
I freeze them in the sauce. It keeps them moist and makes it easy to warm up on the stove that way. Congrats on getting the toddlers to like these guys. I always do a little dance, well figuratively, when my little ones try a new healthy food!
Yummy! I’m going to have to make these for our family! Thank you for sharing.
Hope you enjoy them. Never get a complaint with these. And that’s hard to come by! 🙂
I’m really trying to serve my family healthier meals. I’ve discovered grass fed beef and have been searching for recipes for grass fed beef. My family is going to love these meatball subs and I’ll feel good serving it to them.
I’m excited to try these, Rach! I love all the additions. 🙂
These look sooo mouth-watering! Love you little guy with the stringy cheese out of his mouth. =) Thanks so much for linking up at Weekend Potluck. I love anything you can put a healthy spin on.