Italian Meatball Sub
OMG I cant believe the day is finally here, the very first post on my own food blog. Truly never thought this day would come because I tend to be hard on myself. Honestly, I am a bit scared because I don’t know where this journey will take me; however, on the other hand I am excited and hope this takes me to places I never imagined of going , as well as connect with people from all over.
So here we go…creating this childhood favorite of mine that’s wayyyy tastier and healthier than Subway. As a middle school-aged kid I used to love an Italian Meatball sub from Subway. There was one within walking distance of my house and at least once a week I would get money from my dad to go grab one. Though only about 90 lbs I could throw down a whole foot-long in one sitting. I would always ask the preparer to add lots of jalapenos and some mayo. It was so yummy and would make me so happy!
Now fast-forward to the adult me, and I prefer to recreate my childhood favorites where I am able to fully control the ingredients. For me, having the most natural ingredients is most important. I’m sure that is something you will notice in my future posts, as I enjoy supporting locally-based grocery stores and farmers’ markets throughout southeast Michigan. When those are not options, such as the (not) lovely winter then it’s to the organic section of the chain stores. Enough of this, checkout the recipe below!
| Prep Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 2 lbs sirloin Ground (grass-fed)
- 1/2 cup onion Chopped
- 1/3 +1 tbsp cup italian bread crumbs
- 1 tsp salt Pink Himalayan or sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper Ground
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley Finely chopped
- 1 large egg Brown egg or egg of choice
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Use more if needed
- 28 oz can peeled tomatoes I used san marzano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar I used organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp franks red hot sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika Or plain will work fine
- 1 tsp fresh garlic Minced
- 6 8 inch sub rolls From the deli section of the grocery store
- 12 slices provolone Deli style
- 1 tsp mayo Per roll
- 2 pieces sliced fresh jalapenos If prefered
- 1 tsp Parmesan cheese Optional
Ingredients
Meatballs
Marinara
other ingredients
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- In a large mixing bowl add ground sirloin, egg, onions, bread crumbs, garlic powder, fresh parsley, black pepper and salt. Mix it all together by hand. Don't be afraid to get a little dirty people 🙂
- Wet your hands with water, form meat mixture into golf ball size , roll in flour, shake off excess and finally place on a separate plate.
- Place non-stick large and deep skillet on stove, turn on medium heat and add olive oil. Quick TIP: How do you know its hot? My mom would drop a few tiny drips of water in to the oil (lol), but for safety reasons just drop a small pinch of flour in the oil. When the oil is hot enough place meatballs in one at a time and let brown. No big deal if touching/crowded in the skillet.
- It's OK to stir and flip the meatballs at the same time, as this step requires only 10 minutes on medium to low heat. While meatballs are browning pour tomatoes in a blender or food processor and pulse about 5 seconds (IMPORTANT: don't let the the tomatoes blend all the way, you want them choppy). When the meatballs are browned add the tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic, sugar, paprika, salt and black pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for about 20-25 minutes until sauce thickens. Add more salt, sugar or pepper to your liking.
- On a cutting board slice sub rolls lengthwise making sure to not cut all the way through. Spread mayo on both sides, and place two slices of cheese in roll by folding cheese in half. Add three meatballs to each roll, where the heat from the meatballs will melt the cheese. Add a little more marinara and jalapenos if you can handle the heat, as well as grated Parmesan Cheese. TIP: If you want less of a mess, try wrapping half your sub in tinfoil or parchment paper.
- Enjoy and please let me know what you think. P.S. The meatballs and marinara can also be used for spaghetti 🙂
Looks yummy…as always!!!
Thank you so much you’ll have to try it and let me know what you think 😀
Erica I’m soooo proud of you your first post!!! You are very gifted and talented and don’t worry you will go very far,this is your passion and your passion always lead you to places you never dreamed of, i can’t wait to try this sub!!! You will put suway out of buisness Lol!!! ~Tara Wilson~
Thank you Tara, I appreciate the encouragement.
You welcome 👍👍👍
Looks great!!
Thank you, I’m super excited 🎉
Looks delight! I can’t wait to make it for myself… but, I could always come straight to the source,lol. So proud of you!!
Very nice work! Looks very tasty, and looks much better then Subway. In the future, It would be amazing to see you do video tutorials of yourself cooking, while explaining the ingredients to your amazing recipes. You have my support, great work.👍
Oh thank you for you comment and support, I will definitely get on YouTube 😀.
I don’t eat red meat so could I substitute with ground turkey
Yes you can substitute, I tried giving up red meat, I’m going to have to try again lol