Sandwiches · Italian-American
Meatball Sub
Oven-baked meatballs, warm marinara and melty provolone in a soft roll. Done in about half an hour.
- Hands-on
- 15 min
- Hands-off
- 15 min
- Oven preheat
- 10 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 15 cm (6 in) subs
- Serves
- 4
The oven heats while you mix and shape the meatballs. Then about 15 minutes for the meatballs and 5 minutes to melt the cheese on the assembled subs.
Oven 200 °C · 180 °C fan (400 °F)
Pan rimmed baking sheet (US: rimmed baking sheet)
- easy
- weeknight
- family-dinner
- game-day
- kid-friendly
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Doubles easily: use two baking sheets for the meatballs and give them room. Check the temperature of a meatball on each sheet. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: rimmed baking sheet · parchment paper · large bowl · instant-read thermometer · plate and paper towels · oven mitts
Contains: wheat · egg · milk
Method
Heat the oven
Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat it to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F). Grease the baking sheet with the 1 tbsp olive oil.
Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature before the tray goes in.
Mix the meatballs
In a large bowl, mix the 567 g (1 1/4 lb) beef, 84 g (3/4 cup) bread crumbs, 2 beaten eggs, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper with your hands until evenly combined.
Shape
Roll the mixture into 12 meatballs about 5 cm (2 in) across and set them on the greased sheet. Wash your hands with soap straight after.
Bake the meatballs
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Ready when: Browned outside, and a thermometer pushed into the centre of the biggest meatball reads at least 71°C / 160°F, the safe temperature for ground beef.
Otto tried this firstOtto breaks one open, sees it's brown inside and calls it done. Colour isn't a reliable test for ground beef, so he checks with the thermometer and gives them 2 more minutes until it reads 71°C / 160°F.Drain
Lift the meatballs onto a plate and carefully pour off the fat on the sheet.
Build the subs
Line the same sheet with parchment and open the 4 split rolls on it. Put 3 meatballs in each roll, spoon about 80 ml (1/3 cup) marinara over them and lay a slice of provolone on top.
Melt the cheese
Bake for about 5 minutes and serve right away.
Ready when: The cheese has melted and the sauce is hot all the way through.
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Refrigerate leftover meatballs within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 to 4 months.
- Reheat
- Reheat the meatballs in sauce in a covered dish until they reach 74°C / 165°F in the centre, then build fresh subs.
If something goes wrong
- Greasy subs Why: The fat from the baking sheet went into the rolls.
Drain the meatballs on a plate and pour the fat off the sheet before you assemble. - Meatballs still under 71°C / 160°F after 15 minutes Why: They were shaped bigger than 5 cm (2 in) or the oven runs cool.
Keep baking and check every 2 to 3 minutes until they reach temperature.
Good to know
- For a garlic-bread version, brush the split rolls with melted butter mixed with crushed garlic and toast them until golden before filling.
- Everything happens in the oven, so there's no splattering frying pan to clean.
Safety
- Ground beef must reach 71°C / 160°F in the centre. Use a thermometer: colour alone doesn't tell you it's safe.
- Keep raw meat away from the rolls, cheese and sauce. Use a separate board, and don't put cooked meatballs on a plate that held raw meat unless it has been washed in hot, soapy water.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap after handling raw beef and raw egg.
- The fat on the baking sheet is very hot. An adult should drain it, using oven mitts.
- Bread crumbs, rolls and marinara vary: check labels for allergens such as soy, sesame or milk.