Meatball Sub Marinara Provolone (Printable)

Hearty sandwich with homemade meatballs in marinara, topped with melted provolone cheese on a soft roll.

# What You Need:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - ½ lb ground pork
03 - 1 large egg
04 - ½ cup breadcrumbs
05 - 2 tablespoons milk
06 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ For the Marinara Sauce

12 - 2 cups marinara sauce
13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
14 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
15 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ For Assembly

16 - 4 long sandwich rolls
17 - 8 slices provolone cheese
18 - 1 tablespoon butter
19 - Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined.
03 - Shape mixture into 16 meatballs, about 1¼ inches each.
04 - Place meatballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
05 - While meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
06 - Pour in marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.
07 - Transfer baked meatballs to the sauce. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
08 - Cut the sandwich rolls lengthwise and lightly butter the insides. Toast under the broiler or in a pan until golden.
09 - Arrange 4 meatballs with sauce inside each roll. Top each with 2 slices of provolone cheese.
10 - Place assembled subs on a baking tray and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11 - Garnish with fresh basil or parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The beef and pork blend keeps meatballs tender while developing deep savory flavor
  • Simmering them in sauce means every bite stays juicy and infused with garlic and herbs
  • Melting provolone under the broiler creates that irresistible cheese pull that makes everyone pause before taking their first bite
02 -
  • Overmixing the meat mixture makes tough meatballs, so stop as soon as everything is combined
  • The meatballs finish cooking in the sauce, so take them out of the oven while they're still slightly springy
  • Toasting the rolls creates a barrier that prevents them from getting soggy when you add the sauce
03 -
  • Cheese that's slightly cold from the refrigerator melts more evenly than room temperature cheese
  • Place a baking sheet under the rack when broiling to catch any cheese drips before they hit your oven floor
  • Let the subs rest for 2 minutes after broiling so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't slide right off when you take that first bite
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