I’m not sure if I am alone in this, but when I was a kid, I was absolutely under the impression that a meatball from Subway was the equivalent of a ticket to heaven’s gate. My God, Subway’s meatball subs had a grasp on me stronger than gorilla glue on that woman’s scalp, and you could not tell me that anything trumped it. Steak? Pass. Seafood? Nope. It was Subway’s meatball sub or nothing for me.
I honest to goodness haven’t had a meatball sub from Subway in probably ten years, but when I came across a recipe to make the homemade version from thepioneerwoman, you can bet your sweet ass I clicked on it to share with all of you. Check it out.
“Ingredients
“FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 1 c. breadcrumbs
- 1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 c. milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 lb. ground beef (80/20)
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1/4 c. olive oil
“FOR THE SUBS:
- 4 c. marinara sauce
- 6 hoagie rolls, about 8-inches long
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 24 meatballs
- 6 slices provolone cheese, halved
- 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
- 1/4 c. chopped parsley
“Directions
- For the meatballs: Stir together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir in milk and eggs until mixture is a loose, paste-like consistency.
- Add beef and pork. Using your hand like a claw in a twisting motion, gently mix the meat with the breadcrumb mixture until well combined.
- Divide the meat mixture into 2 ounce portions and gently shape into balls about 2 inches wide. (If the mixture is sticking to your hands, lightly grease your hands with olive oil to prevent sticking.)
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add the olive oil. Working in batches of 6 to 8, brown the meatballs on all sides, about 1 minute per side, turning each meatball about 4 times. Remove from the heat and drain the grease from the pot.
- Return the Dutch oven to low heat and add the marinara sauce.
- Nestle the meatballs into the pasta sauce without stirring. Cover and cook 30 minutes.
- Gently stir the meatballs, making sure each one is coated in sauce. Cover and cook 15 minutes more, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°.
- For the sandwiches: Preheat oven to broil.
- Slices the hoagies rolls lengthwise, through the center of the rolls. Hollow out about 1 inch of the inside of the bread, from the bottom pieces of the rolls.
- Brush the insides of the bread with the olive oil and place, cut-side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until the bread is toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the top halves of the hoagie rolls from the baking sheet and set aside.
- Add 4 meatballs to each of the bottom halves of the rolls; top with 2 pieces of provolone cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add more sauce to each sandwich if desired. Sprinkle each sub with parmesan cheese and parsley. Top with the remaining hoagie roll halves. Serve immediately,” the recipe states.
No disrespect to my childhood favourite, but I think homemade beats out Subway’s.