Meatball Sub
Juicy homemade baked meatballs tossed in marinara, piled onto toasted sub rolls, topped with more sauce and melted mozzarella. A family-favorite weeknight sandwich.
- Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Sandwiches
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided, room temperature or warmed
- 6 Italian sub rolls, split and butter toasted
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella
- Preheat the oven to 475°F. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, eggs, soy sauce, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix just until evenly combined — overworking the mixture is what makes meatballs dense instead of tender.
- Shape the mixture into 24 evenly sized meatballs. Arrange them on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and bake, turning once partway through, for about 13 minutes, or until cooked through. The rack lets air circulate underneath so the meatballs brown evenly instead of steaming in their own juices.
- Transfer the baked meatballs to a bowl and toss them with half of the marinara sauce, coating each one well.
- Arrange the split, butter-toasted sub rolls on a baking sheet and place three to four sauced meatballs into each one.
- Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the meatballs in each sandwich, then top generously with the shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden in spots. Serve immediately while everything is hot.
Chef's Note: Baking the meatballs on a rack rather than directly on the sheet pan is a small but meaningful upgrade — it keeps them from sitting in their own rendered fat, so the exterior browns and firms up instead of turning soggy. Tossing the meatballs in sauce before they even hit the roll, rather than just spooning sauce on top, means every bite gets that marinara flavor instead of just the top layer.
This is a genuinely great make-ahead meal — the meatballs can be baked and sauced a day or two in advance, refrigerated, and reheated gently before assembling the sandwiches fresh. Leftover meatballs keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, so it's worth doubling the batch if you want extra for spaghetti and meatballs later in the week.
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