Italian Meatball Subs

Easy Italian Meatball Subs with homemade meatballs, baked and topped with a simple Italian marinara sauce on a toasted bun with melted cheese.

My husband would quickly tell you this is his favorite meal I make. That’s high praise from a man who’s been taste-tester to hundreds of recipes I’ve made and shared here. They really are that good!  I like to serve meatball subs with a vegetable, or salad like this Classic Wedge Salad and a fresh fruit bowl.

I couldn’t tell you which is better in this recipe, the homemade meatballs, or the homemade meatball sub sauce! Both are super easy and fast to make, and both taste amazing!! Both can also be made in advance and stored in the fridge, or made as a freezer meal.

How to make Meatball Subs:

1. In a large bowl combine the saltine crackers, beef broth, egg, and spices (everything EXCEPT for the meat and flour). Stir and rest for 10 minutes so the crackers can soak up the liquid.
2. Add the ground meat and mix just until combined (don’t over mix).
3. Form 15 meatballs, dredge them lightly in flour and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake meatballs or 20 -25 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Make the Italian Meatball Sauce. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, and garlic salt to a saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Prepare the rolls/hoagies. Slice the hoagie in half and top with provolone cheese. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes or until rolls are toasted and cheese is melted. Remove from oven.

6. Assemble. Place 3 meatballs on each sub, followed by a large spoonful of sauce. Serve immediately.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s totally freezer friendly. I like to make a big batch of the meatballs and freeze half of them after they’re baked. You could even freeze the sauce if you wanted.

How to freeze meatballs:

To freeze cooked meatballs, allow them to cool completely after baking, then store in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm meatballs in sauce on the stove.

Uncooked/raw meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months.  After making the meatballs and assembling them into small balls, store them in a freezer container bag.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as instructed.

Consider trying these popular dinner recipes:

• Slow Cooker Pot Roast
• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas
• Italian Grilled Cheese
• Gourmet Baked Mac N Cheese with Bacon
• Crispy BBQ Chicken Wraps

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Italian Meatball Subs

Easy Italian Meatball Subs with homemade meatballs, baked and topped with a simple Italian marinara sauce, served on a toasted hoagie with melted cheese!

4.89 from 18 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 5 people

Calories: 469kcal

Author: Lauren Allen

Video

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1/2 cup saltine crackers , crushed
• 1/4 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 large egg , lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 pound ground beef I use lean, or substitute lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour , for dredging

For the sandwiches

• 5 hoagies or sub rolls
• 10 slices Provolone cheeses , or mozzarella

For the sauce

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

Homemade Italian Meatballs:

• In a large bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients together EXCEPT for the meat. Stir and rest for 10 minutes so the crackers can soak up the liquid. Add the meat and mix just until combined (don't over mix).
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Form 15 meatballs, about the size of golf balls, and gently sprinkle them all around with flour.
• Place the meatballs one inch apart on the baking sheet and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until cooked through.
• While the meatballs cook, make the sauce.

Meatball sub sauce:

• Add all of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• When the meatballs are finished baking, scrape any grease off the bottom of them and place them in the sauce. 
• Slice the hoagie rolls in half and layer with cheese. Broil on high for 2-3 minutes or until rolls are toasted and cheese is melted. Remove from oven. 
• Place 3 meatballs on each sub, followed by a large spoonful of sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

Freezing Instructions: To freeze cooked meatballs, allow them to cool completely after baking, then store them in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm meatballs in sauce over the stove. 

Uncooked/raw meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months.  After making the meatballs and assembling them into small balls, store them in a freezer container bag.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking as instructed. 

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 928mg | Potassium: 958mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Vitamin C: 15.6mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 8.7mg

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*I originally shared this recipe in June 2014. Updated April 2019.

Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe