• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Culinary Consultant
  • Videos
  • Favorites
  • About

DeSocio in the Kitchen logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Second Harvest
  • Videos
  • Favorites
  • Kitchen
  • About
  • Cooking Classes
×

July 7, 2020

Classic Italian Meatball Sub

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

A classic Italian meatball sub is one of my top 5 favorite sandwiches!

I make a lot of meatballs in my house. My husband is Italian and grew up eating a lot of them so he’s always excited when I go to the trouble to make a big batch. For this dinner instead of eating the meatballs on pasta, I wanted them nestled in bread covered in sauce and cheese.

CLASSIC ITALIAN MEATBALL SUB

Just like my Italian meatloaf, my meatballs include plenty of fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar and cheese. The fresh herbs really keep the meatball lighter and less dense, you really gotta try it! These are great to make on a Sunday then eat the leftovers all week or freeze them for later. I like a meal that does double duty! 🙂


Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
CLASSIC ITALIAN MEATBALL SUB

Classic Italian Meatball Sub

  • Author: Krista
  • Prep Time: 30 min
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb ground beef – I use 80/20
  • 1 lb Italian pork sausage
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
  • 1 medium onion, grated on a microplane
  • 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • a small handful of fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBL olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt (+/- to your taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (+/- to your taste)
  • 3 TBL thick balsamic vinegar
  • 2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
  • 4 slices of provolone cheese
  • 4 hoagie or hot dog buns

*Special spice from France: Provence Epices Rabelais use about 2 teaspoons for this recipe. This spice is great for all types of food, anything you want to be savory. It adds so much flavor you’ll find tons of uses! It’s not necessary to make the recipe delicious but it definitely adds to the flavors.


Instructions

  1. In a large bowl place the pork and ground beef (do not mix yet). Add the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, basil, parsley, olive oil, salt pepper and balsamic vinegar (and Provence Epices if using) to the meat. Holding the microplane over the bowl, grate the garlic and onion.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and add to the bowl with the other ingredients. Thoroughly combine everything, try not to over mix, stop when everything is just combined. (Over-mixing leads to tough meatballs)
  3. Add both jars of marinara sauce to a deep pot and heat over medium heat. 
  4. Make the meatballs – Using a cookie scoop, scoop out and form the meat into ball shapes. Place into a hot skillet and brown on all sides (the meatballs should not be cooked through) then place the browned meatballs into the warm sauce. Repeat until finished. Cover the sauce and meatballs and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  5. Assemble the sub – Toast buns in the oven for about 5 minutes. Place 4 meatballs into the bun, top with a little sauce and finally the cheese. Then place the assembled subs on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown and is melted.
  6. Serve while hot and with your favorite side!

Keywords: Italian Meatball Sub or Hoagie

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @desocio_in_the_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #desociointhekitchen

Filed Under: Dinner, Italian, Main Course Tagged With: hoagie, Italian, meatball Parmesan, meatballs, mozzarella, sub

Stay Updated

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆
Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome to my kitchen!

Krista

Hello, my name is Krista, but my friends call me Tata or Kiki. Welcome to my food blog! I like to cook (and occasionally bake) foods that aren’t complicated but not boring either. I don’t always get it right but I’ll never hide the fails.

Learn More

Let’s Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

RECIPES EVERYONE IS MAKING!

3 Cheese Mac and Cheese

Sauteed shrimp with tomatoes, onions and

Southern Shrimp and Grits

Fish tacos with cabbage slaw

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Avocado and Peach Salsa

nestle toll house LEMON Sugar COOKIES

Shortcut Lemon Sugar Cookies

Stay Updated

Copyright © 2025 · De Socio in the Kitchen · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · CCPA