Meatball Subs

Summer reminds me of cookouts, baseball and amazing food (can we say, Apple Pie)! This isn't typically something I would make, or eat, but my husband is a HUGE meatball lover. He saw this recipe in the cookbook I received a while back from a giveaway and requested this be one of the first to make from it. Boy was I glad he wanted this! It was so incredibly delicious; much better than I was anticipating. Given the choice, I'd never choose a meatball sub .. over anything really. This however was different. It had substance. It didn't need a bunch of toppings to mask the taste. These would be great for a summer gathering or even a cookout at your house, just cut the buns in half and voila!

Meatball Subs

Adapted from: Simply Suppers

Yields: 4 subs

For meatballs:

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 lb ground beef

1/4 lb Italian sausage

2 Tbsp finely diced shallots (or onion)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

kosher salt

finely ground black pepper

For sandwiches:

2 cups tomato sauce

4 crusty sandwich rolls/buns

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To prepare the meatballs, preheat oven to 395 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk until mixed well. Add the remaining ingredients for the meatballs and mix well with hands. Season with salt and pepper as desired. When well combined, shape into 16-20 meatballs.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when sprinkled onto the skillet. Working in batches, cook the meatballs until well-browned on each side, about 4-5 minutes total time. Transfer the browned meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and continue this process until all meatballs are browned.

Cook meatballs in preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the center is no longer pink. DO NOT turn the oven off.

To assemble a sandwich, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the tomato sauce. Add the meatballs and toss until well coated and warmed. Place meatballs on sandwich buns and place on a clean baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly amongst the four sandwiches and bake in oven until the cheese has melted, about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately.