As I write this I am sitting poolside. It is a steamy 91 degrees outside and the kids have been playing in the pool for at least 2 hours now. The last thing I want to do is go home and have to spend an hour in the kitchen getting dinner together.
I think we all have days when everyone is exhausted and hungry and the thought of cooking in the kitchen for an hour is just too much! It is days like this when you need my Easy Meatball Sub recipe to get dinner on the table quickly.
I don’t know if I can truly call Easy Meatball Subs a “recipe”, it is really more of a how-to. I keep it super easy by using store-bought frozen meatballs (more on those later), store-bought marinara (perfect way to use up the half empty jar from the back of your fridge), you can be flexible on the cheese too (use what you have), and add a few spices from your spice cabinet. If you’re headed to the store, grab some hoagie buns… but if all you have are a couple hot dog buns, those will work too!
What Meatballs to Use in a Meatball Sub
So, again, super flexible with the meatballs in this “recipe”. It just calls for store-bought frozen meatballs. You can use turkey, chicken, sausage, or beef meatballs. Whatever your family likes!
If you are a fan of Costco like we are, then you should definitely check out these Italian Beef Meatballs. They are our favorite:
These are the meatballs that I choose to use in my Easy Meatball Subs. They are seasoned to perfection and have an almost grilled flavor in the background.
But if you really want to make your own meatballs, these are delicious, easy and quick recipes for Instant Pot Italian Meatballs and Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs. Or you can check out these Baked Italian Meatballs or Chicken Meatballs.
Variations on Easy Meatball Subs
As you have read previously, this recipe is super flexible! There are lots of ways you can customize Easy Meatball Subs to suit your family:
- Make it vegetarian by using veggie meatballs.
- Try using turkey, chicken or sausage meatballs.
- Use whatever cheese you have in the house. Mozzarella, Provolone, Gouda, or Monterey Jack would all work perfectly!
- Kick up the heat by adding a lot of red pepper flakes.
- Use whatever marinara sauce your family loves.
- Try adding a little pesto for a basil heavy flavor.
- If you have fresh basil in your fridge or on the back patio, give it a quick chop and sprinkle it on the sub.
What to Serve With Easy Meatball Subs
This is a great casual dinner that comes together quickly. So plan on side dishes that also come together quickly with very little effort. Some of my favorites are frozen green beans popped in the oven with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper, a big store-bought caesar salad, or pan sauteed zucchini with garlic and parmesan.
If you need it to be really easy, open a bag of kettle chips and grab some baby carrots out of the fridge. #reallife
Dinner Recipes
If you like this recipe, here are some other easy dinner recipes on Mom’s Dinner:
- Barbecue Chicken in Parchment with Sweet Potatoes & Peppers
- 2 Minute Honey Mustard Sauce
- Barbecue Chicken Pizza
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
Share the Love
If you made this recipe let me know how it turned out! Comment below, drop me a line, rate the recipe, or share it on social media. The buttons at the top of the page make it super easy to share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
I hope you give this “recipe” for Easy Meatball Subs a try in your kitchen.
Love- Susie
Easy Meatball Subs
Ingredients
- 16 store bought frozen meatballs I like Costco’s Italian Beef Meatballs
- 4 hoagie rolls or hot dog buns if that is what you have
- ½ cup marinara sauce, divided
- 1 cup mozzarella or provolone cheese, divided
- grated parmesan cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Bake your meatballs according to package instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400
- Open the hoagie buns and lay facing up on a sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and generously sprinkle on the garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Red pepper flakes are optional if you like a little heat.Place in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes to get a good crisp on the bread.
- Place 1 tablespoon of marinara on the bottom bun of each hoagie. Optional- sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese. Top with 4 meatballs.Top the meatballs with 1 tablespoon of marinara.Top it off with ¼ cup cheese.
- Place the hoagies back in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes:
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
K
WOW so good! Easy week night meals that are fast and don’t require standing for a long time at the stove are the best for summer. We are having a major heat wave and have no AC in there and it gets up to 28C/82F INSIDE the kitchen!! This was so fast but creative.
My son loves meatball subs from Subway but I have to admit I’m a little nervous sometimes as I wonder how long they are left sitting out. I don’t know why I never thought to make them before, but so glad I found this. The only thing I did differently is I baked my meatballs, then heated some sauce on the stove and let the meatballs simmer in it briefly while the bread was toasting in the oven. Adding some herbs to the bread makes such a big difference. So so good! 🙂 I love that you can also customize this for preferences like add olives or anything else you want to make the whole family happy.
Linda
I used home made frozen Turkey meatballs and leftover pasta sauce with veggies. Easy and good,
Michelle Weber
can you make these ahead of time and freeze, if so, how do you warm them back up?
Susie Weinrich
I have not tested these in the freezer. I would be afraid the bread would get really soggy from the marinara.
Linda Kinnaird
Place frozen meatballs in crockpot with a jar of sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours and then proceed with remaining recipe. End result is super tender meatballs! Easy and delish!!!
MacKenzie R Grinnell
This is an amazing recipe! Perfection! Never thought frozen meatballs would taste so good! We added pepperoni on them and it really set it off!
April
My daughter is a picky eater and she loves these. These are also great on Hawaiian subs.
Beverly
meatballs from Costco can be serve over rice – make’s delicious dinner
Susie
Great idea!!
Anna
My family loves meatball subs! It’s such a great idea or a quick summer dinner, especially since I can use store-bought meatballs. I think I need to make these soon!
Susie
Definitely! It is a super easy dinner to make!
Leslie
Totally agree that sometimes the last thing you want to do is spend an hour cooking when you’ve been in the heat with the kids all day! My son loves meatballs and he likes sandwiches so I don’t know why I haven’t made meatball subs! Thanks for the idea!
Susie
Great! I hope the kiddos love them!
Donna
Oh my gosh we are so there. The heat has hit here and we have been spending long afternoons at the pool everyday, but the time we get home I have to put cheese and crackers on the table to tide everyone over until dinner. Sounds like this would be just as quick and more delicious!
Susie
Yes- it is SOOO fast! Definitely give them a try next time you are wiped out from a long day at the pool