Description
Juicy homemade meatballs baked to perfection, nestled inside toasted garlic bread hoagie rolls, smothered with rich marinara sauce and topped with melted mozzarella cheese for a comforting Italian-inspired dinner sandwich.
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 15oz container ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Rolls:
- 4 hoagie rolls (St. Pierre brand recommended)
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Assembly:
- 1 15oz jar good-quality marinara sauce
- 4oz mozzarella cheese, grated
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Make the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, eggs, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add ground beef and panko breadcrumbs and mix until well combined. Grease or line two rimmed baking sheets. Roll mixture into 55-70 small meatballs and place them about an inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes until fully cooked through. Set aside half of the meatballs for another use or freezing.
- Prepare garlic bread: In a small bowl, combine softened butter, mayonnaise, grated parmesan cheese, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley. Slice hoagie rolls open and spread the garlic butter mixture on both sides. Place the rolls on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned on the edges.
- Assemble the subs: Toss the remaining half of the baked meatballs (about 22-24) with the marinara sauce. Divide the sauced meatballs evenly among the toasted rolls, placing about 7 meatballs per sub. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish the sandwiches with fresh parsley and extra parmesan cheese if desired, then serve immediately while hot and gooey.
Notes
- This recipe is part of a Cook Once Eat Twice series: the batch of meatballs makes more than needed here.
- You can freeze the extra baked meatballs for future meals to save time.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes in the garlic butter to your preferred heat level.
- For crispier garlic bread, broil for 1-2 minutes but watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Use freshly grated cheese for best melty texture and flavor.
