Monstrous Meatball Subs

These subs were a perfect dinner this Halloween week. One, because these hearty sandwiches really hit the spot after an afternoon of raking leaves in the crisp autumn air and two, because, well...they just look scary. Check it out:



You're gonna need a napkin (or a roll of paper towel) for these! This was the first meatball sub to ever touch my lips. Never made one. Never ordered one off of the menu. I wasn't even tempted. It just didn't sound that good to me. However, back in June, I read a post by Katy at Food for a Hungry Soul. Boy, did her meatball subs on fresh baked French bread catch my attention. They looked SO good! Then, when I made my big batch o' meatballs last month, Coleen from Coleen's Recipes commented, "Congratulations on making your own meatballs! Now nothing can hold you back....meatball subs, meatball sliders, sweet & sour meatballs...so much to try." After using my meatballs atop pasta in Tomato Basil Cream sauce and in Easy Swedish Meatballs and I still had exactly one dozen meatballs left in the freezer. I knew exactly what I wanted to try. Meatball subs. Thank you for the suggestion, Coleen! Although now I'm thinking, "how cute must those meatball sliders be?" Next time...


To begin, I put the thawed meatballs in a skillet with half of a sliced sweet onion and half of a sliced yellow pepper. Cook and stir until the veggies are tender and the onion turns a golden brown color.



Remove the onion and pepper to a bowl and keep warm.



Now pour half a jar of spaghetti sauce over the meatballs. Heat until the sauce reaches a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer the meatballs while you finish the rest of the steps for the sub, load your dishwasher, change out the laundry, locate the show and tell item for your daughter's class tomorrow, and slice some apples for the neighborhood kids that are jumping in the leaf piles in your backyard...whatever. About 20 minutes.



To prepare the bread, cut 5 bakery hoagie rolls in half. Melt 3/4 a stick of butter in the microwave and stir in 3 cloves of garlic, minced and crushed. Brush the butter/garlic mixture over the bread.



Put em' under the broiler until toasted.



Now you're ready to build your subs. Lay down some onions and peppers on the bottom slice of each hoagie roll. I only put onions and peppers on three of our subs. The kiddos don't appreciate the grilled veggies. If you're covering all of the subs with onions and peppers you might want to slice more.



Now place three meatballs and a healthy serving of sauce over the onions and peppers.



Generously sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.



Top each with a slice of provolone cheese. I tore mine in half to cover more of the sandwich.



Set the tops of the rolls aside and place the subs back under the broiler until the cheese melts.



Now put a lid on it. Chow down! Mmmmmm.



Here's a cross section. It looks a lil' less messy.



Meatball Subs

Serves: 5

15 meatballs
1/2 sweet onion, sliced
1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
5 bakery hoagie rolls, halved
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced and crushed
parmesan cheese, grated
5 slices provolone cheese

In a skillet, heat meatballs, onions, and peppers until the onions and peppers are tender and the onions are golden brown. Remove vegetables and keep warm. Add 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce to meatballs. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Melt butter. Stir in garlic. Brush onto hoagie rolls and broil until golden brown. Spread a layer of onions and peppers on each bun. Place 3 meatballs over the onions and peppers. Cover in sauce. Generously sprinkle with parmesan. Top with a slice of provolone. Return to broiler until cheese is melted. Put remaining bun on top and serve.