This easy meatball subs recipe is the BEST! Baked homemade meatballs in marinara sauce, topped with melted cheese on toasty bread. Makes the perfect freezer meal for busy weeknights or an easy camping meal!
A recipe that is a true family favorite – Meatball Subs!
Meatball subs are comfort food at its finest with saucy homemade meatballs topped with melted cheese on toasted buns — what more could you want?
When I make ahead freezer meatballs I always try to make several batches to use in some of my family favorite recipes. I love to use them in spaghetti, in Meatball Soup and as an appetizer of Sweet & Sour Meatballs (all those recipes are in my cookbook “Seriously Good Freezer Meals“).
How to Make Meatball Subs
You won’t believe how easy it is to make your own homemade meatballs. It’s as easy as mixing up a few ingredients into some ground beef, then forming into balls.
I’d suggest using my super delicious Freezer Meatballs recipe as it’s a reader favorite.
And if you don’t want to make your own homemade meatballs, you can buy a big bag of frozen ones at Costco or at most grocery stores too. These work great too and if you’re short on time make for a quick meal.
Here are the step by step directions for making meatball subs.
- Bake up your meatballs.
- Butter the insides of your hoagie buns then broil until golden and toasted.
- Add 3-4 cooked meatballs to each bun.
- Spoon on a little bit of marinara sauce over the meatballs.
- Add some slices of provolone cheese then broil until cheese is melted. Then optionally you can sprinkle on a little extra parmesan cheese and serve.
What’s Best To Serve With Meatball Subs
Some of my favorite sides to serve with these toasty meatball subs would be potato chips, a fresh green salad or even a yummy potato or pasta salad.
What Kind of Sauce To Use with Meatball Subs
Some people love to simply use jarred spaghetti sauce and while that will work well, the very best sauce to use is marinara sauce which is a bit fresher flavored. Marinara topped with the slices of provolone cheese and parmesan makes this sandwich irresistible.
Most Delicious Type of Bread for Meatball Subs
It’s worth the extra effort to find yourself some good-quality hoagie rolls. I look in the bakery sections of grocery stores to find ones that feel a little more artisan when I’m entertaining. I’m also love using my Homemade Bread Buns Recipe and shaping them into hoagie buns.
But when it’s just for my kids, any hoagie buns will do. And don’t skip the broiling step with butter. The crispy bread adds a depth of flavor and the perfect crunch combo for a perfect meatball sandwich.
Can I Make Ahead & Freeze these sandwiches?
So here’s the thing, It’s best to toast the bread fresh if you want a crispy buttery bite to compliment the meatballs and sauce. And if you freeze already toasted bread with meatballs and marinara sauce it will be soggy when reheated. So I’d suggest instead simply freezing the meatballs to save time and making the sandwiches fresh.
Can You Freeze Cooked Meatballs?
Yes! Meatballs freeze great! This makes this recipe super fast and easy to work with when you want to reheat them.
Bake the meatballs and allow them to cool completely. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for at least three hours or until they are frozen so they don’t freeze together. Then store them in a freezer zippered bag.
You can freeze them for 3 – 4 months. Then when you’re ready simply bake up your meatballs and make your sandwiches.
Can You Freeze Raw Meatballs?
Definitely. After making the meatballs and assembling them into small balls, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer so that they won’t freeze together in one big meatball.
Then when they are frozen, store them in a zippered bag, freezer container or a reuseable bag.
To thaw, refrigerate the meatballs overnight. Then bake them up the next day. You can freeze raw meatballs for 3 – 4 months.
Makes A Great Make Ahead Camping Meal too!
Get your roasting sticks ready…camping has never tasted so good!
When you are camping add the frozen meatballs to your cooler in the morning. They will be thawed and ready to go for dinner that night.
I love preparing before I go with my easy camping meals. It allows me to not spend all the time cooking and instead I get to have fun with my family.
Here’s How to Make-Ahead Meatball Subs For Camping
- Make ahead & freeze meatballs in a gallon freezer bag. Pack them into your cooler – they should be mostl thawed before you cook them over the fire.
- Prepare the fire. Burn the fire down so that you have a nice 1-2 inch layer of hot & ready white coals. If you are using briquettes, light them and wait about 10 minutes until they are not flaming and starting to turn white.
- Place meatballs on a roasting stick or a skewer and roast them.
- Toast your buns, add the cooked meatballs then spoon on the marinara sauce. Top with cheese then wrap sandwich in aluminum foil.
- Place in the bottom of the fire for about 5 minutes or until warmed up. Then open and serve.
And you are done! Now THAT’S a good camping meal!
Here’s More Make Ahead Camping Recipes you might like too:
- Easy Steak Fajita Foil Packets Recipe
- Frito Bandito Recipe
- 5 Make Ahead and Freeze Foil Packet Recipes for Oven, Grill or Campfire Cooking
- Campfire Apple Crisp Foil Packets
- 4 Ingredient Pizza Pocket Recipe {Camping Recipe}
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake Campfire Desserts
- 10 Cheap and Easy Camping Meals
- Foil Packet Campfire Nachos
Easy Meatball Subs
Ingredients
- 16 meatballs
- 4 hoagie buns
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Take the frozen meatballs out of the freezer and place on a baking sheet.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Bake meatballs in preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or no longer pink inside. Remove from oven.
- Turn oven to broil and allow to preheat.
- Slice open hoagie buns and open them up. Spread a thin amount of softened butter on the insides of each open bun.
- Place open buns on a baking sheet, add into oven and broil until golden and toasted, about 1-2 minutes
- Add 3-4 cooked meatballs to each sub sandwich
- Spoon marinara sauce on top of each meatball (at least 1 tbsp per meatball)
- Cut slices of provolone cheese in halves or strips to fit sandwiches. Place them on top of marinara sauce.
- Place again into oven and broil a few minutes longer until cheese is melted. Watch it closely so you don't burn your sandwich. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Notes
- Make ahead & freeze meatballs in a gallon freezer bag. Pack them into your cooler – they should be mostl thawed before you cook them over the fire.
- Prepare the fire. Burn the fire down so that you have a nice 1-2 inch layer of hot & ready white coals. If you are using briquettes, light them and wait about 10 minutes until they are not flaming and starting to turn white.
- Place meatballs on a roasting stick or a skewer and roast them.
- Toast your buns, add the cooked meatballs then spoon on the marinara sauce. Top with cheese then wrap sandwich in aluminum foil.
- Place in the bottom of the fire for about 5 minutes or until warmed up. Then open and serve.
I just made Meatball Sub Recipe and it was amazing ever! Thanks for the sharing the recipe. Can’t wait to make more them.