Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe

You know those recipes that come from family and immediately become a household obsession? That's exactly what happened when my sister Laura shared her meatball sub recipe with me last spring.

Honestly, I should have asked for it years ago. Every time we'd visit her place in Memphis, Bradley would devour three of these sandwiches and then ask if he could take some home. Amy loved helping Laura put them together, carefully placing each meatball into the toasted buns. Even John, who's pretty picky about his subs, declared these the best he'd ever had.

The genius of Laura's recipe is that you can make it in the slow cooker while you're running errands or working, or on the stovetop if you have an afternoon free. I've made both versions countless times now, and they're perfect for feeding a crowd on game day or just making weeknight dinner feel special. If you're looking for another crowd-pleasing dinner option, check out my One Pot Pasta that's always a hit with busy families.

Last Tuesday when Bradley had soccer practice, I started these in the crockpot at noon, and by the time we got home at six, the whole house smelled incredible. Amy walked in and immediately asked if we could have meatball subs for her birthday party next month. That's the kind of reaction these sandwiches get.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Meatball Sub Recipe
• Ingredients For The Best Meatball Subs
• How To Make Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe
• Storage And Reheating Tips
• Tips For Perfect Meatball Subs
• Meatball Sub Recipe FAQs
• Recipes You May Like
• Final Thoughts
• Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe

Why You'll Love This Meatball Sub Recipe

Let me tell you what makes Laura's version stand out from every other meatball sub I've tried:

• Super flexible timing - Make it in 4 hours in the slow cooker or 1 hour on the stovetop, whatever works for your schedule
• Feeds a crowd easily - This recipe makes 12 generous sandwiches, perfect for game day or family gatherings
• The sauce is incredible - Laura's blend of herbs and spices creates a rich, flavorful sauce that beats any jar sauce hands down
• Melted cheese barrier - Adding cheese to the toasted buns before the meatballs prevents soggy bread (Laura taught me this trick!)
• Freezer-friendly - Double the batch and freeze half for those crazy busy weeknights when takeout sounds tempting
• Kid-approved - Even Amy's pickier friends loved these at her last sleepover

Ingredients For The Best Meatball Subs

Here's what you'll need to make Laura's amazing meatball sub recipe:

For The Sauce:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder (I love the granulated garlic from Costco)
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1½ teaspoons dried parsley (or 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley)
• 1½ teaspoons dried basil (or 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh basil)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme (or 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves)
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
• ½ teaspoon sugar (add another ½ teaspoon if it tastes bitter)
• 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (I like petite diced)
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce (or 2 8-oz cans)

For Assembly:

• 32 ounces frozen meatballs (or make homemade meatballs)
• 16 ounces mozzarella or provolone cheese
• 12 French rolls or sandwich buns (smaller French "steak rolls" work great if you can find them)

How To Make Laura's Meatball Sub Recipe

The key to these sandwiches is building layers of flavor in the sauce. Trust me on this one - it's worth the extra few minutes of prep.

Make The Sauce:

1. Chop your onion into small pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, high-sided 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Once the oil shimmers, add the chopped onions and let them cook for about 5-8 minutes. You want them nearly translucent and very soft. Stir them occasionally while you prep the other ingredients.
3. While the onions cook, finely mince your garlic cloves and set them aside. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oregano, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1½ teaspoons onion powder, 1½ teaspoons dried parsley, 1½ teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground thyme, ½ teaspoon celery seed, ½ teaspoon cayenne powder, and ½ teaspoon sugar. This spice blend is what makes Laura's sauce so special.
4. When the onions are soft and starting to look a bit golden, add the minced garlic and all those beautiful spices. Stir everything together for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. The smell at this point is absolutely amazing - Bradley always appears in the kitchen asking what's for dinner when he catches a whiff of this!
5. Turn the heat down to low so the garlic doesn't burn. Add 1 tablespoon of Better than Bouillon Beef Base and the 6-oz can of tomato paste. Stir it into the onions and break up the tomato paste as best you can for about one minute.
6. Pour in the 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes and use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those bits are pure flavor! Add the 14.5-oz can of diced tomatoes and the 15-oz can of tomato sauce. Stir everything together until the sauce is really well combined.

Stovetop Method:

7. Add all the frozen meatballs directly to the sauce and stir to combine. Cook over low or medium-low heat for about 1 hour. This allows the flavors to meld together beautifully. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Slow Cooker Method:

7. Carefully pour the hot sauce into your slow cooker. I usually enlist John's help for this step because it's hot and a bit unwieldy. Better safe than sorry!
8. Add the 32 ounces of frozen meatballs and stir until they're completely covered in sauce. Laura says this is important - you want every meatball coated.
9. Set your slow cooker to low for 4 hours. The meatballs and sauce can stay on low for as long as 6-8 hours if needed. If you're in a hurry, set it to high and cook for 2 hours. Once finished, switch to warm if you're eating later.

Assemble The Sandwiches:

10. Set your oven to broil and move the rack a few inches below the heat source. Grate or thinly slice your cheese and set it aside.
11. Split your buns if they aren't already and line them open-sides-up on a baking sheet. Pop them in the oven until toasted, about 1-3 minutes. Do not walk away! I learned this the hard way when I burned an entire batch while answering Amy's homework question. Stay close and watch them like a hawk.
12. The second you see brown spots appearing, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Immediately add a thin layer of grated or sliced cheese to each bun. This melted cheese creates a barrier that helps prevent soggy bread - it's Laura's secret weapon!
13. Return the pan to the broiler for just about 1 minute to finish melting the cheese if needed.

Serving Options:

Buffet Style: Serve the toasted buns with cheese, the meatballs in sauce, and extra cheese on the side. Let everyone build their own sandwich with as many meatballs as they want. This is what we do for game day parties.

Family Style: Add the toasted buns with cheese to a glass baking dish. They should be fairly close together to keep the meatballs from escaping. Add meatballs and sauce to each sub roll, then top with more cheese. Pop them back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Storage And Reheating Tips

The best way to store leftovers is to keep everything separate. The buns will last in a sealed bag or container on the counter for 2-3 days. Extra cheese goes back in the fridge where it'll be good for 2-3 weeks.

Add the meatballs and sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate for 4-5 days. When you're ready to eat, toast the sub bread in a toaster oven or under the broiler, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top, then warm the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.

How To Freeze: The meatballs and sauce freeze beautifully! I often double this recipe and freeze half for future meals. Wait for everything to come to room temperature, then add to ziplock freezer bags. Leave a bit of air at the top since the sauce expands as it freezes. They'll last 4-6 months in the freezer.

To use frozen meatballs and sauce, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in a saucepan for 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

You can also freeze sub sandwich rolls in a sealed bag for 1-2 months. Just don't try to freeze already-assembled sandwiches - they'll be a soggy disaster and you deserve better than that!

Tips For Perfect Meatball Subs

After making Laura's meatball sub recipe at least twenty times now, here are my tried-and-true tips:

• Don't skip the cheese barrier - Seriously, melting cheese on the toasted buns before adding the meatballs makes such a difference in preventing soggy bread.
• Use quality frozen meatballs - I usually grab the Italian-style meatballs from Costco, but any good frozen meatballs work great. Laura sometimes makes homemade, but honestly? The frozen ones are perfect for this recipe.
• Adjust the spice level - If you're cooking for kids who don't love spice, cut the cayenne in half. Bradley likes his with extra cayenne, so I sometimes add a pinch more to his sandwich.
• Make the sauce a day ahead - The flavors get even better overnight. Just refrigerate the sauce, then add the meatballs and reheat when you're ready to eat.
• Choose the right bread - Sturdy hoagie rolls or French rolls work best. Soft sandwich bread will fall apart. I found these perfect "steak rolls" at our Nashville bakery that are just the right size.
• Serve with simple sides - These subs are hearty, so keep sides light. A simple green salad, some roasted broccoli, or even just potato chips and baby carrots work great.

What about a quick version? For those nights when time is really tight, I have a cheater version using Rao's marinara sauce that comes together in about 30 minutes. Just sauté an onion and garlic, add a jar of Rao's, a can of diced tomatoes, and a tablespoon of Better than Bouillon. Add the meatballs and simmer for 20-25 minutes. It's not quite as good as Laura's full recipe, but it's still pretty delicious when you're in a pinch!

Meatball Sub Recipe FAQs

Recipes You May Like

If you enjoyed this meatball sub recipe, you'll want to try these other crowd-pleasing favorites from my kitchen:

• The Best Meatloaf Recipe - Another comfort food classic that my family requests weekly
• Garlic Parmesan Cheeseburger Bombs - Perfect party food that disappears fast
• Smoked Sausage And Potatoes - An easy one-pan dinner for busy weeknights

Final Thoughts

I'm so glad I finally convinced Laura to share this meatball sub recipe with me. It's become one of those recipes I turn to again and again - for game days, birthday parties, busy weeknights, or whenever I need to feed a crowd without spending hours in the kitchen.

The slow cooker version has saved me countless times when life gets hectic. Just this morning, I threw everything in the crockpot before taking Amy to her dance class, and by dinner time we had these amazing sandwiches waiting for us. Bradley's already asked if we can make them again this weekend for his friends.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear how it turns out in your kitchen. And don't forget to save this on Pinterest so you can find it again later when you need an easy crowd-pleaser.

Happy cooking, and here's to many more delicious meals with your loved ones!

-Stephanie

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