Homemade Meatball Subs

In high school I worked at a sandwich shop. It was the local hangout for all us teenagers. I'd go to work from 4-8 pm. I'd then go home to change and go right back to socialize. It was a great place to work. The management was lax to an incredible fault. We certainly ate into their profits with all our late night snacking.

Man, that snacking was the best! We'd munch on chips, cookies (and cookie dough), bread, and my personal favorite: one little meatball enveloped by a piece of cheese. Needless to say, I gained 10 pounds that year. But at the time it was worth it. Those meatballs were so good!

I still love meatballs covered in cheese, but I'm more mindful of how I eat them. Now I prefer lean turkey and I prefer baked meatballs to meatballs browned in oil. I must confess, I've had some trouble with baked meatballs in the past. They tasted dry and flavorless.

That is until today. These baked meatballs have broken my streak of meatball bad luck! They are so juicy and tender, they are like buttah. I added Italian sausage to the mix for some spice and for more flavor. Aside from the turkey and the sausage, there are only a handful of ingredients.

The most important ingredient being white bread soaked in milk. It really keeps the meatballs tender and moist. The other important tip is to NOT over mix your meat mixture! That will make your taste buds unhappy.

These baked meatballs are simple and delicious! They would make any pasta dish proud! I haven't had a good Italian meatball sandwich in ages and recently found myself craving one. These meatballs make for one incredible sandwich. Especially with the gooey smoked mozzarella and the homemade marinara.

I'm totally re-living my youth with this sandwich. Makes for a tasty trip down memory lane!

If you're feeling fancy, you can bake up these subs on easy focaccia bread or no-knead artisan bread too.

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Homemade Meatball Subs Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

• 2 slices white bread
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pound italian sausage
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, diced

For the Sauce :

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 6 sub rolls

Directions

For the Meatballs:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Soak white bread slices in 1/2 cup milk, set aside.
3. In a small skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Sauté until softened, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine Italian sausage, ground turkey, egg and Parmesan cheese. Add onion mixture and mix to combine.
5. Strain bread slices and add to ground meat mix.
6. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together just until incorporated. Do not over mix.
7. Shape meatball mixture into 2" meatballs.
8. Place meatballs on a cooking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
9. Turn meatballs and cook an additional 5-10 minutes.
10. Remove and allow to cool some.

For the Sauce:

1. Meanwhile, heat oil in a saucepan. Add Italian seasoning. Stir in crushed and diced tomatoes, sugar and salt. Simmer over low heat while meatballs bake.

To Assemble:

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Place a large spoonful of sauce on bottoms of each bun.
3. Top each bun evenly with slices of cheese.
4. Add 3-4 meatballs over cheese and spread with more sauce.
5. Broil for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

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