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    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Sandwiches

    Homemade Meatball Sub

    Published: Sep 20, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 15 Comments

    34 shares
    Jump to Recipe
    Homemade meatball sub with a text title overlay.
    Homemade meatball sub with a text title overlay.

    Tender and juicy meatballs in a homemade marinara loaded into a soft sub roll and then toasted with cheese. It is hearty and messy comfort food at its finest. Ready in 10 minutes, these Meatball Subs are a great way to use up leftover meatballs.

    A submarine roll containing meatball marinara, melted cheese and chopped herbs.

    If you have ever wanted to make your own version of a Subway Meatball Sub, then this is how. You take some leftover meatballs (or you can make them fresh for this recipe), smother them in sauce and then toast with cheese and load with your favourite toppings.

    If you are looking for some more meatball recipes, then why not try our Meatball Pasta Bake, Lamb Meatball Traybake, Sweet and Sour Meatballs or Albondigas (Spanish Meatballs)?

    Jump to:
    • Why you will love it
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • How to make meatball subs - Step by step
    • Variations
    • What to serve with Meatball Subs
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Extra tips
    • More sandwich recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    Why you will love it

    • Subway alternative - This meatball sub recipe is an alternative to heading to your local Subway sandwich shop, and it's cheaper to make your own.
    • Total comfort food - I am not sure there is anything more comforting that juicy meatballs, in bread, with cheese. Homemade meatball subs are total feel-good food.
    • Uses up leftovers - This meatball sandwich is a great way to use up leftover meatballs so that nothing goes to waste.
    • Adaptable - Easy to change to suit your tastes. More on that below.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.
    • Bread - We used soft sub rolls, as we wanted it to be as close to a Subway Meatball Sub as possible. However, if you want something with a bit more texture then you could use a baguette which would have more crunch.
    • Meatballs - The key to a good meatball sub is the meatballs. Quality is important here, but you have a few options. You can either make your own, or use store bought. But for this recipe, they need to be cooked first. Why not use leftovers from our Slow Cooker Meatballs or Air Fryer Meatballs?
    • Marinara - This is really where all the flavour comes from. If you have used leftovers from our slow cooker meatballs, then that will already have sauce with it. If you just have plain leftover meatballs, then you will need some Marinara to go on it. Homemade is always best, but you could use a good quality store bought sauce if you prefer.
    • Cheese - Anything goes here, but it needs to be something that melts well. We used gouda, but mozzarella or cheddar would work.

    A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

    How to make meatball subs - Step by step

    Prep: Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

    One: Place the meatballs and marinara in a pan. Heat for 5 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through.

    A saucepan containing meatballs and marinara sauce.

    Two: Slice the sub rolls lengthways and fill with the meatballs.

    Two sub rolls filled with meatball marinara next to a bowl of more meatballs.

    Three: Add the cheese slices.

    Slices of cheese added to the sandwiches.

    Four: Bake for 5 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted.

    Two baked meatball subs with toasted bread and melted cheese.

    Variations

    These is a fairly simple recipe, so there aren't too many ways that you can change it up. We have mentioned above about the different bread you can use and you can either make your own meatballs or use store bought. Why not go for a lighter option and use Turkey Meatballs?

    When it comes to the marinara, that is where all the flavour comes from. But if you wanted something a little different, then you could use our Homemade BBQ Sauce.

    If you want to make these meatball subs a little more indulgent, then brush the tops of the bread with some melted garlic butter before they go in the oven.

    Melted cheese over some meatballs in marinara.

    What to serve with Meatball Subs

    There are so many options when it comes to sides for meatball subs. It is a big and hearty meal on its own, but if you wanted to cut them up smaller and serve them with some sides then we have you covered.

    • The Best Air Fryer Chips
    • Baked Halloumi Fries
    • Easy Skin on Fries
    • Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli

    We haven't even spoken about what to top the meatball subs themselves with. Well, like your local sandwich shop, almost anything goes. We added some fresh basil and some sliced pickles and chillies.

    But you could add some sliced bell peppers and lettuce for crunch, or our Roasted Red Peppers for extra flavour. Why not go for the full Subway experience and add some of our homemade Southwest Sauce?

    A meatball sub on a plate with crisps, pickles and a small bowl of marinara.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you make meatball subs in the slow cooker?

    Yes, if you follow our Slow Cooker Meatballs recipe for the actual meatballs, then you can follow the rest of the recipe as below.

    How to store meatball subs

    These meatball subs are best eaten straight away, as they use leftover meatballs. However, if you make them fresh you could wrap them up and keep them in the fridge until the next day, but the bread would be a little soggy.

    Are meatball subs gluten free?

    As long as you use gluten free meatballs and bread, and make sure that there is no cross contamination, then these can be gluten free.

    heart icon

    Extra tips

    • Take this sub sandwich to the next level by brushing the tops of the bread with melted garlic butter before they go in the oven.
    • If you don't like marinara, you can swap it for BBQ sauce, or a mixture of the two.
    • Feel free to add all your favourite sandwich fillings like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
    • These are best eaten fresh, so only make as many as you need.

    More sandwich recipes

    • The BEST Fish Finger Sandwich
    • Pizza Sandwich
    • Epic Cheese Sandwich
    • Chicken Mayo Sandwich

    If you’ve tried this meatball sub recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
    Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.

    Recipe

    Homemade meatball sub on a plate with pickles and potato crisps.

    Homemade Meatball Sub

    Tender and juicy meatballs in marinara, loaded into a soft sub roll and then toasted with cheese. This Homemade Meatball Sub is ready in just 10 minutes.
    5 from 18 votes
    Author: Dannii
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Lunch
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 12 minutes
    Allergens:
    An illustration of a carton of milk.
    Dairy
    An illustration of two ears of wheat.
    Gluten
    An illustration of a cow's head.
    Meat
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 518kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 Sub rolls
    • 10 Meatballs
    • 1 portion marinara
    • 3 slice Gouda cheese - cut in half

    Instructions

    • Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
    • Place the meatballs and marinara in a pan. Heat for 5 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through.
      10 Meatballs, 1 portion marinara
    • Slice the sub rolls lengthways and fill with the meatballs.
      2 Sub rolls
    • Add the cheese slices.
      3 slice Gouda cheese
    • Bake for 5 minutes, or until the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted.

    Notes

    • Take this sub sandwich to the next level by brushing the tops of the bread with melted garlic butter before they go in the oven.
    • If you don't like marinara, you can swap it for BBQ sauce, or a mixture of the two.
    • Feel free to add all your favourite sandwich fillings like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
    • These are best eaten fresh, so only make as many as you need.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1sub | Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 703mg | Potassium: 257mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 331mg | Iron: 11mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jovita

      September 21, 2022 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      A fabulous meatball sub! Also it's easy to prepare. I will serve it to my friends. Thank you for sharing :)

      Reply
    2. Kim

      September 21, 2022 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      I have a bag of meatballs and sauce in the freezer, and this is the perfect way to use them up! Great idea!

      Reply
    3. Stephanie

      September 21, 2022 at 12:35 pm

      5 stars
      I used to get these at Subway all the time, but they started getting skimpy on the meatballs and cheese. I'm so excited to make it at home! Thanks so much for sharing with us!

      Reply
    4. Kate

      September 21, 2022 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      This is my favourite Subway sandwich - and now I can make my own at home! Brilliant - thank you!

      Reply
    5. Kate

      September 21, 2022 at 10:59 am

      5 stars
      This is better than Subway! Really easy too.

      Reply
    6. Liza

      September 20, 2022 at 5:35 pm

      5 stars
      What a great, family-friendly recipe! I took your suggestion to brush the buns with garlic butter -- sooo tasty! These meatball subs will be on permanent dinner rotation at our house.

      Reply
    7. Jen

      September 20, 2022 at 5:12 pm

      5 stars
      I love using leftover meatballs for meatball subs. This was the first time trying it with gouda cheese and it was so good!

      Reply
    8. Holley

      September 20, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      One of my favorite comfort foods! Can't go wrong with this delicious recipe!

      Reply
    9. Janessa

      September 20, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      This looks delicious! We're having spaghetti and meatballs tonight so I'm definitely going to make extra meatballs so that I can have this sandwich for lunch tomorrow.

      Reply
    10. Beth

      September 20, 2022 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      I am so making this recipe! I always order meatball sandwiches from Subway, and I can't wait to have a homemade version of my favorite kind of sub. Yummo!

      Reply
    11. gunjan

      September 20, 2022 at 3:10 pm

      5 stars
      These meatballs were delicious and the best ever. We loved every bit of this recipe.

      Reply
    12. Claudia Lamascolo

      September 20, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      Everyone enjoyed this recipe and so easy to make, will make again! Thanks!

      Reply
    13. Katherine

      September 20, 2022 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      This is a perfect classic meatball sub!

      Reply
    14. Kali Alexandria

      September 20, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      I've been craving a meatball sub for days and I'm so glad I found this one! SOOO good!!

      Reply
    15. Tara

      September 20, 2022 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Oh yum! Such a comforting sandwich. It looks absolutely amazing, especially with the melted Gouda cheese on top.

      Reply

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    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

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