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Meatball subs with marinara and white melty cheese.
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5 from 3 votes

Meatball Subs

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, store-bought meatballs just don't compare! This is a large batch, meal prep recipe to stock some in your freezer. The basic meatballs are versatile and can be used in any sauce for a different meatball night any night!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 15 to 20
Calories: 644kcal

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 large onion small dice, olive oil, salt and pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef you can also do 3lb beef and 1lb pork, just total 4lb
  • 2 pounds ground pork or bulk Italian sausage
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs panko or homemade
  • 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 12 grinds fresh black pepper
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated

For the Subs

  • store-bought or homemade marinara sauce (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 over medium low heat, caramelize the onion until golden brown in a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, about 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, mix all other meatball ingredients in a large bowl, including onions when they are done. Clean hands are the best tool to really mix well!
  • Form into meatballs and set on a sheet pan. They should be about ping pong to golf ball size, use an ice cream scoop to portion and then roll them with your hands. Makes 60 to 70 meatballs, depending on size.
  • At this point you can freeze or refrigerate meatballs, some or all, for later use in any different sauce. 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° F.
  • Over medium high heat, reheat the pan from the onions or use a clean large pan, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Brown the meatballs on one side, then flip and brown the other side (about 2 minutes per side, don't try to flip them too early or they will stick and break). Cook about 8 to 10 at a time in batches so you do not crowd the pan. When done browning the outside, return them to the sheet pan (don’t worry that it had the raw meatballs on them, you will be baking the whole thing).
  • Bake meatballs in the oven for about 10-20 minutes to finish cooking through, cut one open to check.
  • Add marinara sauce to the pan you browned the meatballs in to warm through, adding the meatballs in when they are done baking. Excess fat can be discarded if you like. Simmer about 15 minutes or on very low until ready to serve.
  • Assemble subs on hoagie buns topped with cheese. Bake at 400° on a clean sheet pan until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted, about 10 minutes.

Notes

  • This is a large batch for meal prep!  Meatballs can be frozen raw, cooked, or cooked and in the sauce.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
  • Recipe can be cut in half if you don't want to meal prep a large batch.
  • Browning the meatballs in the pan just adds flavor, it does not cook the meatballs all the way through.  Finish them in the oven.  To save time, you can skip the sear and just bake them directly in the oven, about 20 minutes but cut one open to be sure they are cooked through before adding them to your sauce.
  • Meatballs can be made any size, just try to make them all equal so they cook evenly, a portion scoop works great!
  • Use any store-bought marinara sauce, or make your own, try this easy sauce recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs.
  • These basic homemade meatballs are versatile and can be used in different sauces!  Use in any recipe that calls for frozen meatballs.
  • Nutritional Information is for 1 meatball sub. 

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1054mg | Potassium: 463mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 14mg