Garlic Bread Meatball Sub Sandwiches

Meatballs

Ground beef: I love to grab the organic ground beef from Costco. I believe it is 85/15 but feel free to grab 90/10 or 93/7 for leaner beef. You could also use ground chicken or ground turkey.

Ricotta: ricotta cheese is a creamy, mild Italian cheese known for its soft texture. Ricotta adds moisture and flavor to a meatball as well as acting as the binder. 

Panko breadcrumbs: Panko, also referred to as Japanese style breadcrumbs are lighter and flakier than traditional breadcrumbs and found in the baking section of any grocery store. 

Garlic: garlic adds depth of flavor to the meatball and is integral to making these meatballs and bread so delicious. Grating in advance and letting the garlic sit for about 10 minutes maximizes the presence of a compound in the garlic proven to have antioxidant properties. 

Eggs: eggs are necessary to help effectively bind all the ingredients in the meatball.

Sandwiches

Hoagie rolls: grab four, 6-inch sub rolls. I like to find them in the bakery aisle (as opposed to the bread aisle) as they are often fresher, softer and better quality. I’m using the brand St. Pierre which I find in the Fred Meyer (Kroger) bakery section. 

Parmesan and mozzarella cheese: found in the dairy aisle or custom cheese section of your grocery store. The Parmesan melts into the garlic butter spread to create the richest bread and mozzarella rounds out the sandwich experience with a creamy, cheesy texture. I highly recommend freshly grating cheese for a superior taste. For this, you’ll want to grab low moisture mozzarella, which is easier to grate than fresh.

Marinara: choose a quality marinara sauce you enjoy, found in the pasta aisle. I like Raos for its simple ingredient list and exceptional flavor.

Mayonnaise and butter: The mixture of mayonnaise and butter helps create the perfect melted, golden spread on your bread. 

Parsley: I always use Italian parsley. This can be found in the produce section alongside other herbs like green onion, and cilantro. This adds not only a nice visual appeal to the garlic bread, but also contains many important vitamins and antioxidants, so why not. 

Red pepper flakes: adds a subtle kick and warmth to your marinara. 

Prep:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. If using block cheese, start with grating both the parmesan (1½ oz block Parmesan = about ½ cup) and mozzarella cheese (4oz block mozzarella= 1½ cups). Finely chop parsley and set aside. Next grate the 6 cloves of garlic and set aside in a small bowl.

Assemble the meatballs:

To a large bowl whisk together the ricotta cheese, eggs, half of the grated garlic cloves (reserve the other half for the garlic bread mixture), salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Add the ground beef and panko and mix until everything is well combined.

Prepare the garlic bread:

While the meatballs are cooking, smash together room temperature butter, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, remaining grated garlic, red pepper flakes and finely chopped parsley in a small bowl.

Assemble meatball subs:

Scoop 6-ish of the saucy meatballs into each sub. Top with the shredded mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes to ensure the cheese melts nicely and the bread is and browning around the edges.

What should I serve with this garlic bread meatball sub?

These garlic bread meatball subs would be great paired with a simple salad, balsamic asparagus or roasted broccoli. You can also garnish your sub with some arugula or mixed greens drizzled with a little with lemon and olive oil.

Variation Ideas

• Meat: feel free to use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef.
• Bread: soft French baguette or dinner rolls both work well.
• Spice level: if you like things spicy add an extra pinch of red pepper flakes to the meat mixture and/or marinara sauce.
• Topping ideas: top with a dollop of basil pesto, fresh arugula, balsamic glaze or fresh basil.