Italian Meatball Oven Subs! These are Italian Hoagie Buns brushed with Garlic Butter or Garlic Sauce stuffed with Homemade Italian Sausage Meatballs, covered with a simple Passata Pizza Sauce and a Beautiful Blend of Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese. Oven baked until the Cheese is melted and topped off with finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese. Garnished with Parsley & Aleppo or Chili Flakes.
Add Italian Deli Meats or Pepperoni, some sauteed Onions & Peppers or White Sauce like Alfredo, Bechamel or Sour Cream.
Italian Sausage Meatballs
Homemade Italian Sausage Meat that are shaped into about 30 g Meatballs and cooked. For one Italian Meatball Oven Sub, 4 Meatballs are used. Which is about the same as a Quarter Pounder Burger.
Italian Sausage Meatballs
Shape into 1 1/2 Tbl portion for Meatballs and freeze on a baking tray.
Oven bake at 350 F for about 25-30 minutes. Tossing them around for even browning.
The Meatballs should be prepared in advance for this recipe. They will need time to blend the flavors much better. At least 4 hours and then portioned and shaped into meatballs to be frozen on a baking tray.
How to cook meatballs in a skillet
These can also be cooked in a skillet over medium heat with a lid. Heat a skillet up with a bit of oil. Add the frozen Meatballs and cover and leave for about 3 minutes. Move the Meatballs around. Repeat this every 1–2 minutes for a total cook time of about 10 minutes. During the last few minutes, cook uncovered.
Freezing Italian Meatballs
Leftover raw or cooked meatballs can be frozen on a baking sheet and then transferred to a ziploc bag.
Both of which can be added to make more Italian Meatball Oven Subs, added to Spaghetti Sauce for Spaghetti & Meatballs, served on the side on a layer of White Sauce (Bechamel, Alfredo or Sour Cream) and topped with Passata Pizza Sauce and a side of Pasta like Garlic Butter Pasta or Alfredo.
Italian Meatball Oven Sub Sauce
The Tomato Sauce is based on the Passata Pizza Sauce. Just combine all the ingredients while the meatballs cook up.
Passata Pizza Sauce
Combine all the ingredients together.
- 1×680 ml Mutti Passata
- 4 Large Basil Leaves – Finely chopped or torn
- 3 Tbl EVOO
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 3 Sprigs Oregano – about 1/4 – 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 Clove Garlic – Finely grated
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper – or more to taste
The addition of either Sweet or Hot Pimento Paste can be added depending on if you want a Marinara Sauce that is Sweet or an Angry Hot Italian Meatball Oven Sub with Hot Pimento Paste. Add about 1/4 C of Pimento Paste for the above amounts of Passata Pizza Sauce, more or less depending on taste.
Pimento Paste
Optionally add to taste either Sweet Pimento Paste for a Sweet Sauce or Hot Pimento Paste for a Hot Sauce.
Italian Hoagie Buns
Try to pick up Italian Hoagie Buns up at a local Italian Grocery store. Not only will you get the real deal or very close to it. But they usually sell for much cheaper than buying them at a giant supermarket. I get mine at Vincenzo’s, a very good local Italian Grocery Store.
These are not split on the side. So for these ones I really like to split from the middle top in a V Shape. So that the Meatballs are nice and snug and the Ovensub can rest easy on the flat bottom side, keeping everything in.
Italian Hoagie Buns
Make a V cut on the top and remove some of the bread to nestle the meatballs in.
Garlic Butter
Brushing the Buns with Garlic Butter just adds so much more Flavor. Make the Garlic Butter up and use to brush the Buns. Save the rest by covering and refrigerating to use for Garlic Bread or Garlic Butter Rice.
Garlic Butter
- 1/2 C Butter
- 1 tsp Parsley, Chives, Dehydrated Onion & Garlic Flakes
- 1/2 tsp Butter Popcorn Seasoning
- 1/4 tsp Dill Weed & Aleppo Chili Flakes
Aioli
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 C Sunflower or Neutral Oil
Garlic Sauce can also be used for the Garlic Butter. Just combine the ingredients and mix well. Optionally microwave a few seconds to blend everything together.
You can also drizzle a bit of the Garlic Sauce over the top of the Ovensubs to add more Garlic taste.
Garlic Sauce
- 1/4 C Butter & Sunflower Oil
- 1 1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Butter Popcorn Seasoning
- Small pinch of Citric Acid
Mozzarella Cheese Blend
The Mozzarella Cheese blend I always use is 3:1 Mozzarella to Provolone. Shred it through a food processor and place it into a Ziploc bag to freeze. It’s just amazing stuff!
Mozzarella Cheese
3 Cups of shredded Saputo High Moisture Mozzarella Cheese.
Provolone Cheese
1 Cup of shredded Provolone Cheese.
Mozza Cheese Blend
A blend of shredded Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese at a ratio of 3 to 1.
How to make Italian Meatball Oven Subs
Prepare the Meatballs ahead of time and cook prior to assembling the Italian Meatballs Ovensub. Also prepare the Passata Pizza Sauce and the Garlic Butter or Garlic Sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450 F with the rack in middle position after the meatballs have been cooked.
Italian Bread
V Cut the Bread and remove some of the inside so that the Meatballs can sit nice and snug.
Garlic Butter
Brush the inside of the bread with Garlic Butter or Garlic Sauce. For this one I used Garlic Sauce.
Italian Meatballs
Place 4×30 g Italian Sausage Meatballs into the Garlic Brushed Buns.
Sauce
Ladle about 1/4 C of Passata Pizza Sauce on top for each Ovensub.
Cheese
Top with that Mozzarella Provolone Cheese Blend. Optionally drizzle a bit of Olive Oil or Garlic Sauce on top.
Oven Bake
Place into oven for 5 minutes. Broil to color the top the last few seconds if needed.
Garnish with Parmigiano Reggiano, Parsley and Aleppo or Chili Flakes.
Italian Meatball Oven Subs with Onions & Peppers
Sauté sliced Onion & Bell Peppers in a bit of Butter until softened but still crisp. Place on the Italian Hoagie Buns before or after the Meatballs.
Italian Meatball Oven Subs with White Sauce
Optionally ladle in some Alfredo or Bechamel Sauce before the meatballs go in or on top of the meatballs before adding the Passata Sauce. Sour Cream can also be used.
Deli Italian Meatball Oven Subs
Add sliced Italian Deli Meats or Pepperoni into the Italian Hoagie Buns before placing the Meatballs in.
Equipment
- 1 Bowl for the Passata Pizza Sauce
- 1 Small Bowl for the Garlic Butter or Sauce
- 1 Baking Sheet or Casserole for the meatballs and the ovensubs
Ingredients
- 2 Italian Hoagie Buns
- As needed Garlic Butter or Garlic Sauce - to Brush the Bread
- 1/2 C Passata Pizza Sauce
- 8 Homemade Italian Sausage Meatballs - prepared in advance
- As Desired Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese Blend - 3:1 shredded Mozzarella to Provolone
- As Desired Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Prepare the Homemade Italian Sausage Meatballs and Freeze. Preheat the oven to 350 F and cook the Meatballs until just done, about 25-30 minutes while tossing them around once in awhile.
- While the Meatballs are cooking. Combine the ingredients for the Passata Pizza Sauce and Prepare the Garlic Butter or Sauce.Remove the meatballs and turn the oven heat up to 450 F.
- Brush the Buns with Garlic Butter or Sauce and place them on a baking sheet or Casserole. Place the Meatballs in the Buns. Ladle the Passata Sauce, about 1/4 C for each Ovensub, over the Meatballs and then top with Mozzarella Cheese Blend. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and finely grate Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese on top. Optionally Garnish with Parsley & Aleppo or Chili Flakes.