Frozen Meatball Subs
Frozen meatballs simmered in jarred marinara, piled in toasted garlic-butter rolls and broiled under melted provolone and mozzarella.
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 4. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 24 frozen Italian meatballs, fully cooked, about 1 lb
- 1 jar marinara sauce, 24 oz
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 sub rolls, split, not all the way through
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Steps
Step 1: Pour the marinara into a saucepan, add the frozen meatballs and red pepper flakes, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the meatballs are hot all the way through.
Step 2: While they simmer, heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the top.
Step 3: Mix the butter and garlic powder. Spread it inside the rolls. Set them open on a baking sheet and broil 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Watch them. Broilers don't forgive.
Step 4: Lay 2 slices of provolone inside each roll. Spoon in 6 meatballs and a little extra sauce.
Step 5: Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and spotty brown.
Step 6: Serve with extra sauce for dipping and plenty of napkins.
Swaps
- Meatballs: Turkey or chicken meatballs work the same way.
- Sauce: Vodka sauce or a spicy arrabbiata.
- Slow cooker: Meatballs and sauce on Low 4 hours or High 2 hours. Great for parties.
Tips
- The provolone on the bottom acts like a raincoat for the bread. Don’t skip it.
- Slice the meatballs in half if your rolls are skinny. They stay put better.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
There is no shame in the frozen aisle. Anybody who tells you different has never had to feed four people after a long day. These meatballs are already cooked; your job is to warm them up in sauce and build a sandwich worth talking about.
The real move here is the cheese layering. Provolone goes in first, against the toasted bread, so the sauce can’t soak straight in. Then the broiler melts the mozzarella on top into one big gooey lid that holds the whole thing together. Toast, shield, melt. That’s engineering, friends.
Is it fancy? No. Will anybody complain? Also no.
HAM out.
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