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EASY Meatball Sub

These homemade meatball subs are toasty, cheesy and downright delicious. One of the best easy dinner ideas that comes together in just 20 minutes!

Whenever I make my favorite meatball recipe, I usually end up making a double batch to freeze or make these meatball subs. It’s a super simple dinner idea that takes hardly any time to make. My whole family loves them!

Meatball sub on baking sheet.
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Meatball Sub Sandwich

Meatball subs are such an easy dinner idea (especially when you have leftover meatballs). You can also use frozen fully cooked meatballs for this recipe, however just make sure to give them extra time to simmer in the sauce. If I’m using frozen meatballs, I’ll usually place them in the crockpot in the afternoon and cook them with the sauce on low for a couple hours before dinner time. You can also do this with my homemade version.

We often make mini meatball subs for parties as well, and usually skip the toasting part. We’ll just have the meatballs and sauce in the crockpot and set out dinner rolls for guests to assemble their own meatball sandwich. Sometimes I’ll make baked meatball sliders too. So easy and always a crowd favorite!

Meatballs and marinara in crockpot.

Ingredients

  • Bread: I prefer to use either sub rolls or french bread. Both taste great and crisp up perfectly in the oven. Make sure to pre-toast it before adding the meatballs and sauce so that it doesn’t get soggy!
  • Meatballs: Homemade meatballs taste best, but feel free to buy a bag of frozen meatballs (fully cooked) from the grocery. You could also lighten it up with turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs.
  • Marinara: I love to make a quick marinara sauce whenever I’m making these subs. You can also use store bought marinara.
  • Butter: This gets spread on top of the bread, adding an extra layer of flavor.
  • Garlic salt: Give the bread a quick sprinkle of this before pre-toasting it. It almost makes it taste like garlic bread.
  • Cheese: I like to use shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese (whatever I have on hand). You can also use sliced cheese if you prefer your subs extra cheesy.
Assembling meatball subs on a baking sheet.

How to make Meatball Subs

  1. SIMMER. In a small pan over medium heat, combine the meatballs and marinara sauce until warm.
  2. TOAST. Cut the rolls or bread in half and place on a baking sheet. Spread on butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 425°F for 3 minutes, until toasted lightly.
  3. ASSEMBLE. Place 4 meatballs on each sub, then sprinkle with cheese. Fold top over and bake another 3-5 minutes (until cheese is melted).

Favorite Sides for Serving

These meatball subs pair perfectly with roasted veggies for dinner. If I’m taking the super easy route, we’ll serve them with potato chips (my kid’s favorite). Below are some of our go-to sides to serve with them

Homemade meatball subs on baking sheet.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

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meatball sub

Meatball Subs

5 from 14 votes
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Author: Jamielyn Nye
These homemade meatball subs are toasty, cheesy and downright delicious. One of the best easy dinner ideas that comes together in just 20 minutes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 16 precooked meatballs (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 cup marinara sauce , plus more as needed
  • 4 sub rolls
  • 2 Tablespoons butter , softened
  • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or provolone cheese)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. 
  • In a small pan, stir together the meatballs and marinara sauce over medium heat. 
  • Split the sub rolls in half and place on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Spread lightly with butter and sprinkle garlic salt over the top. Bake 3 minutes, or until lightly toasted. 
  • On the bottom half of each sub, place 4 meatballs and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with the top half and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 
  • Enjoy while hot! 

Notes

Storage: I wouldn’t recommend storing whole meatball subs as they tend to get soggy, but you can store the meatballs and sauce separately and assemble later. imply place the meatballs and sauce in airtight containers and store in the fridge up to five days.
Reheat: Combine the meatballs and marinara and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1082mg | Potassium: 360mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 12mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

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Meatball sandwich on plate.

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