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–+ servings
full toasted sub stuffed with meatballs in sauce and topped with cheese.
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5 from 4 votes

Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe

My sister Laura makes the most AMAZING Meatball Sub Sandwiches, my whole family is obsessed. I finally got her recipe, and it’s our new favorite weeknight meal! You can make these in the slow cooker for a busy day, or on the stovetop if you have some time. They are great for feeding a crowd, I’m thinking game day! Who could say no to this level of cheesy-beefy goodness? Grab yourself some hoagies and I’ll show you just how to make them.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 520kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed and finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder I love the granulated garlic from Costco
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley or 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried basil or 1.5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground thyme or 1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar add another 1/2 teaspoon if it tastes bitter
  • 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
  • 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes I like petite diced
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce or 2 (8 oz) cans
  • 32 ounces frozen meatballs or make Homemade Meatballs
  • 16 ounces mozzarella or Provolone cheese
  • 12 French Rolls sandwich buns or smaller French "steak rolls" if you can find them

Instructions

  • Make the sauce: Chop an onion small. In a large, high sided 12-inch skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil over medium low heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for about 5-8 minutes until they're nearly translucent and very soft.
  • Meanwhile, finely mince the garlic cloves and set aside. To a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons oregano, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Don't forget to stir your onions occasionally while measuring out the spices.
  • Once the onions are soft, add the minced garlic and all the spices, and stir for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. After a minute or two, you should be able to smell the garlic and spices. Turn the burner to low so it doesn't scorch the garlic.
  • Add in 1 tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Beef Base and 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste. Stir into the onions and break up the tomato paste as best you can for about one minute.
  • Add in 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes and use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Make sure you get it all, there's a lot of flavor in those bits! Pour in 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes and 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce. Stir everything together until the sauce is really well combined.
  • Stove top instructions: Add the meatballs and stir to combine. Cook over low or medium low heat for about 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
  • Slow Cooker instructions: Carefully pour the sauce into your slow cooker. Try not to splash! Enlist help if you need it. It's hot, so be careful.
    Add in 32 ounces of frozen meatballs and stir until the meatballs are totally covered in sauce.
  • Set your slow cooker to low. The meatballs and sauce will be ready in about 4 hours, but can stay on low for as long as 6-8 hours, it will be just fine. You can also set the slow cooker to high and cook for 2 hours if you are in a hurry. Once it is finished, set the cooker to warm if eating later, or turn it off completely if you'll be eating immediately.
  • Prep Sandwiches: First, set your oven to broil. Move the oven rack up a few inches below the heat source. Grate or thinly slice your cheese and set aside.
  • Split your buns if they aren't already, and line them open-sides-up on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven until toasted, about 1-3 minutes. Do not walk away! The timing will depend on your oven, so be VERY careful and keep on eye on them so they do not burn. They are toasty when you just start to see brown spots appearing.
  • Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and immediately add some grated or sliced cheese to the buns. A thin layer is fine. It's going to melt and add a barrier that helps prevent the buns from getting soggy. Return the pan to the broiler for just about 1 minute to finish melting the cheese, if you like.
  • Buffet Style Serving: At this point you can serve the subs buffet style. Serve the buns (with melted cheese), meatballs in sauce, and more cheese to sprinkle on top. Each person can choose their own roll (with cheese), then add the amount of meatballs, sauce, and cheese they like.
  • Family Style Serving: Add the toasted buns with cheese to a glass baking dish. The size of the dish will depend on the size of your rolls and how many sandwiches you are preparing to eat immediately. You want them fairly close together to keep all the meatballs in sauce from falling out. Add meatballs and sauce to each sub roll, then top each with more sliced or grated cheese. Add back into the oven and warm under the broiler until the cheese is melted and browned.
  • Serve these subs alongside a simple green salad like this Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing or some Easy Roasted Broccoli. If you're really wanting to keep things simple, you could even serve them with some potato chips and a bag of baby carrots!
  • Store meatballs and sauce in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Buns can stay at room temperature for 2-3 days.
  • How to freeze: Meatballs and sauce freeze beautifully! Freeze in ziplocks. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then add to a pan. Heat over medium low, whisking the sauce in between meatballs as it heats.

Notes

Cheater version of meatballs and sauce

To make easy meatballs and sauce in 30 minutes for these subs, follow this simple recipe:
    • 1 (28 oz) jar Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
    • 1 medium onion
    • 1/2 tablespoon oil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, I like petite
    • 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef flavor
    • 32 ounces of your favorite frozen meatballs
First, get your meatballs out of the freezer and set them aside on the counter to start to thaw. Chop the onion, then saute in oil in a large sauce pan set over medium heat for about 5 minutes til soft. Add the garlic and stir for one more minute, then add the jar of Rao's, the 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef paste. Stir well until everything is combined. Carefully pour in the 32 oz of meatballs and stir until all the meatballs are covered in sauce. Cook over medium heat, covered, for about 20-25 minutes until the meatballs are hot. During the last 10 minutes of cook time, follow the instructions for assembly included in the recipe card, as they will be the same.

How to store leftover meatball subs

The best way to store leftovers is to keep the meatballs, cheese, and buns separate. The buns should last in a sealed bag or tupperware on the counter for 2-3 days. Extra cheese goes back into the refrigerator and will last 2-3 weeks at least. Add the meatballs and sauce to an airtight container and stick them in the refrigerator, where they’ll be good for 4-5 days. To use leftovers from the fridge, toast the sub bread in a toaster oven, or under the broiler until the insides are toasted. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on top. Warm up the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat til warm, about 5-10 minutes. Or, add some to a bowl, cover to save your microwave from splatter, and cook on 50% heat for 2-4 minutes.
If you have already prepared sandwiches left over, my suggestion is to stuff them down your gullet. Ha! Or find someone to give them to. But truly, the shelf life of prepared meatball sandwiches is pretty short since the sauce (even with our melted cheese barrier) is eventually going to make the bread too soggy to be enjoyable. If you’re not sure how much everyone will eat, serve the sandwiches buffet-style so you can store leftovers separately.

Can you freeze meatball subs?

The meatballs and sauce are PERFECT candidates for making ahead and freezing. This recipe makes a lot, but I often double it and package up the leftovers to tuck in the freezer for future easy meals. (For the next last-minute science project moment!)
Wait for the meatballs and sauce to come to room temperature, then add them to a ziplock freezer bag. Be sure to leave a bit of air at the top, as the sauce will expand as it freezes. The meatballs and sauce will last about 4-6 months in the freezer. To use, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm all of it in a saucepan for 20-30 minutes.
You can also freeze sub sandwich rolls. In a sealed bag they should be good for 1-2 months. 
Don’t even try to freeze already-assembled sandwiches, have some self respect. They will be a soggy mess and you’re better than that.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Potassium: 436mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 13mg