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Рецепт Meatball Subs
by Our Best Bites

So we have this recipe for Italian meatballs, and it’s awesome and I love it and it will always hold a special place in my heart. But we’re a non-committed relationship. Sometimes I eat other meatballs. I’m not ashamed. It’s okay.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of meatball subs. I think it has something to do with a few bad experiences combined with eating them at places where they’re kind of an afterthought, but I always felt a little underwhelmed. But then last summer when I was at the very end of my pregnancy (it may have actually been the last Sunday before Baby Willbo was born), I was kind of having a hunger/blood sugar crisis. It was Father’s Day and someone was making meatball subs in the church kitchen and they took mercy on me and let me have a little meatball slider. And it was so good. Game-changing for me in the world of meatball subs.

I could never successfully re-create the recipe she gave me, but then last month, I stumbled across this recipe in Food Network Magazine. There were things that were intriguing (um, the sheer amount of garlic involved was enough to sell me, but throw in ricotta cheese and I knew I had to make them), but there were other things, at first glance, I knew I’d need to change, and there were other things I discovered I wanted to change as I made them (3 times in a 10-day period. Turns out these are a perfect thing to take to families that need meals). I don’t normally go through and explain every change I make when I alter or adapt a recipe, but I felt like a few changes were noteworthy, so, if you’re interested, this is what I changed.

*Whoever said that active prep time is 10 minutes and the cook time is 30 minutes is a liar. Even if they made the sauce as it was originally written. No. Freaking. Way. Maybe if you have all the ingredients prepped, but since most of us don’t have commercial kitchens or prep chefs, that number is way off.

*I changed the sauce altogether. I didn’t feel like there was enough going on in the sauce recipe as it was written.

*I swapped out the fresh onion for dehydrated onion; after making many, many meatballs in my days, I’ve found this keeps the meatballs easy to work with without adding unnecessary filler to bind them together.

*I added fresh oregano to the meatballs.

*I swapped out the plain panko bread crumbs for Italian-seasoned panko. I have, like, 6 boxes of Italian panko in my cupboards because when I’m down to the wire and worried about something we might NEED in a zombie apocalypse, apparently that happens to be Italian panko. I also cut down the amount from 1 cup to 2/3; 1 cup would have made them super dry.

*I cut WAY down on the salt; the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and even when I was making it the first time, I could NOT imagine how 2 tablespoons would be okay. I cut it down to 1 and it was still too salty. Come to find out it was a typo in the magazine and it should have been 2 teaspoons all along. I think the problem was that this recipe was adapted from a restaurant and this measurement may not have been reduced correctly, but 2 tablespoons would have been inedible.

These ended up being a HUGE hit and joined the ranks of maybe 1 other recipe that everyone in my family will willingly eat and not complain about. Not too shabby, right?

For the sauce, you’re going to need extra-virgin olive oil, a chopped onion, minced garlic, 2 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh thyme, Italian seasoning, sugar, baking soda, and red pepper flakes. If you want to kick it up a notch, find a chunk of Parmesan cheese that’s all hard and dry and icky and that you wouldn’t use otherwise and cut off a 1-2″ chunk.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chopped garlic and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, fresh basil, parsley, thyme, Italian seasoning, sugar, baking soda, red pepper flakes, and the Parmesan cheese rind (if using). Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally (you’ll just let it simmer until the meatballs are ready; if, for whatever reason, the meatballs are ready when you put the sauce together, you’ll want it to simmer for about 20-30 minutes before adding the meatballs).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Heat your oven to 425.

To make the meatballs, you’ll need lean ground beef, spicy pork sausage, dehydrated onion, minced garlic (1/4 cup! Hello, lover!), fresh thyme, fresh parsley, fresh oregano, an egg, grated fresh Parmesan, Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, ricotta cheese, and kosher salt.

Combine all the ingredients except for the provolone/mozzarella and the rolls.

Using a tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the meat mixture out by heaping tablespoons-full and form them into meatballs. Place the uncooked meatballs on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned (they will not be cooked through). Remove from the oven and transfer the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

To serve, place the meatballs on your bread of choice. Top with sauce, Parmesan (the powdery stuff in the green can is actually kind of amazing right here, right now), mozzarella or provolone, and chopped fresh Italian parsley. Makes…a lot. Probably in the neighborhood of 40 meatballs.

Meatball Subs

Meatball recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine; Sauce by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

Sauce

Slider rolls (sweet Hawaiian rolls are amazing), baguette, or hoagie rolls

Instructions:

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chopped garlic and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, parsley, thyme, Italian seasoning, sugar, baking soda, red pepper flakes, and the Parmesan cheese rind (if using). Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally (you’ll just let it simmer until the meatballs are ready; if, for whatever reason, the meatballs are ready when you put the sauce together, you’ll want it to simmer for about 20-30 minutes before adding the meatballs).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Heat your oven to 425.

To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients except for the provolone/mozzarella and the rolls. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the meat mixture out by heaping tablespoons-full and form them into meatballs. Place the uncooked meatballs on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned (they will not be cooked through). Remove from the oven and transfer the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

To serve, place the meatballs on your bread of choice. Top with sauce, Parmesan (the powdery stuff in the green can is actually kind of amazing right here, right now), mozzarella or provolone, and chopped fresh Italian parsley. Makes…a lot. Probably in the neighborhood of 40 meatballs.