Meatball Subs
These sandwiches are great for a group. Make the meatballs ahead of time; when you're ready to serve, the subs come together in minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 pound 80 percent lean ground pork
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups plain bread crumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 cups marinara sauce
- 8 to 10 ciabatta rolls for serving
- 16 to 20 slices provolone cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. Combine beef, pork, eggs, bread crumbs, milk, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add cooled onion and garlic mixture and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Shape into meatballs 1 inch in diameter (about the size of a golf ball). You’ll have about 30 meatballs.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in batches until well browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a large saucepot or Dutch oven set on the stovetop. Pour marinara sauce over meatballs and warm over medium heat. Gently simmer until meatballs have cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- When ready to serve, heat broiler with the top rack positioned about 6 inches away from the heat source. Place ciabatta roll bottoms on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pile 3 to 4 meatballs onto each sandwich and top with 2 pieces of provolone. Place roll tops, cut side up, on another baking sheet. Broil roll bottoms until bread is toasted and golden at the edges and cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to the bottom rack and put the baking sheet of roll tops under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove both baking sheets from the oven, close sandwiches, and serve.
Molly Shuster
Molly is a freelance food stylist, writer and recipe developer. She is one of the co-recipe editors of Gather Journal and has had her work published in various publications including Boston Magazine, Yankee Magazine, The New York Times, Food and Wine, Family Fun, The Boston Globe and Edible Vineyard, among others. Molly currently divides her time between New York and Boston.
