This homemade meatball sub features tender baked meatballs simmered in rich marinara sauce, served on a toasted hoagie roll with melted mozzarella. The key is baking the meatballs first to develop flavor before simmering them in sauce.
Delivery in as fast as one hour.*
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, crumbled crackers, milk, grated Parmesan cheese, finely chopped onion, 2 tsp minced garlic, pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Gently mix the ingredients with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.
Use an ice cream scoop to form uniform meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake the meatballs for 17 minutes, turning them over halfway through the cooking time.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the marinara sauce. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
Add 1 tbsp of minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, dried basil, and dried oregano.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
Once the meatballs are done baking, add them to the simmering marinara sauce. Let them simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes.
While the meatballs simmer, slice the hoagie rolls, place pats of butter inside, and toast them in the oven until golden.
To assemble the subs, place about 5 meatballs inside each toasted roll, top with extra sauce, and a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add mild banana peppers for an extra layer of flavor, if desired.
Store assembled sandwiches refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat wrapped in foil at 325°F until warm. Meatballs keep 3 days refrigerated or 2 months frozen; thaw and reheat gently in sauce.
Yes. Bake the meatballs, cool completely, then refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months. Reheat gently in marinara sauce before serving.
Dried Italian seasoning works best here and is more convenient. Use 2 tbsp dried as written; if using fresh herbs, triple the amount.
Bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes until browned on the outside and cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
Yes. Ground turkey or pork work well; add 1 extra tbsp milk to keep them moist since they're leaner than beef.
Use a sturdy Italian hoagie or sub roll that won't get soggy. Toasting it lightly before filling helps prevent sogginess from the sauce.
Classic Alfredo Sauce
15 min
Marry Me Meatballs and Gnocchi
205 min
Spicy Italian Sub
25 min
Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf
85 min
Cajun Spaghetti With Creole Meat Sauce
55 min
Marry Me Chicken
35 min
Italian Shrimp Salad
200 min
One
30 min
