Homemade Meatball Subs are simply amazing, toasty sub buns, with marinara and melty cheese, they are one of our family favorite meals! They are only as good as the homemade meatballs. This is a meal prep recipe to stock some in your freezer for meatball night any night!

The Versatile Meatball

I recently made Meatball Subs for a friend with a newborn baby girl, and of course that meant we had the same thing for dinner. They are so so delicious, a serious favorite of the kids, but this meal can take some time. Keep reading, here is how you make it worth your while… I posted my Grandma’s Norwegian Meatball Recipe with Lefse awhile back (also an incredible meal) but the beauty of them is that they are just really good homemade meatballs in a Norwegian gravy sauce. Put the exact same meatballs in a marinara sauce and they’re Italian, perfect for subs or on spaghetti.

Meatball Meal Prep

Meatball subs can seem like a bit of work. But, invest a little time some Sunday afternoon, make a ton of meatballs and freeze them raw for all different meals, well worth your efforts. Try the same meatballs in a Sweet and Sticky Party Meatball sauce or just eat them plain with mashed potatoes. I freeze them in portions enough for one meal for my family, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then use them whichever way. They can also be used in place of the meat in Mom’s Spaghetti. The recipe below is the exact same as the Norwegian version, just doubled (yes 4 pounds worth!) and without the gravy sauce….once you have the extra meatballs in your freezer, you can try both versions or use them in any meatball recipe. Both recipes are great with a simple salad.

Store-bought frozen meatballs could never compare to how delicious the homemade version is. Put on the Godfather soundtrack and get in the kitchen!

I hope this dinner eased the newborn baby exhaustion for my friend for at least one night. I’m planning on getting my freezer stocked for myself, our little girl gets here in less than two months!

More Favorite Dinners!

Meatball Subs

Meryl Downing

Homemade Meatballs are simply amazing and toasty subs with marinara and melty cheese are my favorite way to eat them! This is a meal prep recipe to stock some in your freezer for meatball night any night!

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Prep Time 1 hr

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 2 hrs

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 12

Ingredients

1 large onion small dice, olive oil, salt and pepper
2 lb ground beef you can also do 3lb beef and 1lb pork, just total 4lb
2 lb ground pork
3 eggs
2 c breadcrumbs
4 T Worcestershire sauce
1 c milk
2 cloves garlic minced
2 t kosher salt
12 grinds black pepper
1 c grated Parmesan
1 jar or homemade marinara sauce or more or less depending on how many meatballs you are cooking at a time
hoagie buns
provolone or mozzarella cheese

Instructions

In a saute pan on low heat, caramelize the onion until golden brown in a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, stir occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix all other meatball ingredients in a large bowl, including onions when they are done.
Form into meatballs and set on a sheet pan. They should be about golf ball size, use an ice cream scoop to portion and then roll in your hands. About 28 meatballs depending on the size. (This can be done ahead of time up to this point and kept in the fridge).
Freeze extra raw meatballs in containers or freezer bags, in portions right for your family (frozen meatballs should be thawed overnight in fridge before cooking).
Preheat oven to 400°.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven with 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter over medium high heat. Brown the meatballs on one side then flip and do the other side (about 2 minutes per side, don't try to flip them too early or they will stick and break).
Cook meatballs in batches so you do not crowd the pan if you are making alot. Don't worry if they break apart a bit in the browning process, that will all become part of the sauce. When done return them to the sheet pan (don’t worry that it had the raw meatballs on them, you will be baking the whole thing).
Place pan in oven for about 15 minutes to cook the meatballs through (you can cut one open to check).
Add meatballs back to the browning pot and add marinara sauce and simmer about 15 minutes or on very low until ready to serve.
Assemble subs on hoagie buns (break meatballs in half if they are too big to fit in the bun) topped with cheese. Bake on a clean sheet pan until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted.

Keyword Meatball Subs, Meatballs