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Cheesy Meatball Subs

Cheesy meatball subs with baked homemade meatballs simmered in marinara and mozzarella broiled until bubbling. A toasted hoagie roll gets loaded with juicy meatballs, rich sauce, and fresh basil for an Italian-American meatball hoagie.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
simmer 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground beef or a mix of beef and pork
  • 0.5 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 0.25 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 egg
  • 3 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
For the subs
  • 4 hoagie rolls split
  • 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
  • 2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Make the meatballs
  1. In a large bowl, mix ground beef with Italian breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined. Form the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and arrange them on a sheet pan.
  2. Bake the meatballs at 400°F on a sheet pan for 18–20 minutes, until cooked through. Look for firm, browned exteriors as a visual cue.
Simmer in marinara
  1. Transfer the baked meatballs to a saucepan of marinara sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring gently so the sauce clings to the meatballs.
Toast and assemble the subs
  1. Toast the hoagie rolls under the broiler for 2 minutes until golden. Watch closely so the cut sides brown without burning.
  2. Spoon meatballs and marinara sauce onto the toasted hoagie rolls. Add generously so sauce and meatballs reach the edges.
  3. Top generously with shredded mozzarella cheese and broil for 2–3 minutes until fully melted and bubbly. Keep an eye out for melted peaks and lightly browned spots.
  4. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately. Add basil right before eating for the freshest aroma.

Notes

Pro tip: If the mixture feels too soft, chill it for 10 minutes before forming meatballs so they hold their shape while baking. Store leftover meatball sauce and meatballs in the fridge up to 4 days; assemble and broil cheese when ready to eat. Freezing is yes—freeze meatballs in sauce up to 3 months. For a lighter option, swap half the ground beef for ground turkey while keeping the same seasoning and Parmesan.