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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Dinner

    Easy Meatball Subs: Using store-bought meatballs

    Published: Jun 4, 2018 · Modified: Mar 8, 2022 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. 51 Comments

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    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.

    easy meatball sub sandwiches topped with melted cheese

    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:

    Kirkland cooked Meatballs Italian Style Beef from Costco

    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.

    Two meatball sub sandwiches, one with cheese, one without

    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.
    Three meatball sub sandwiches with melted cheese

    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

    Meatball sub with melted mozzarella

    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.

    meatball sub with a bite taken out

    I hope you give this “recipe” for Easy Meatball Subs a try in your kitchen.

    Love- Susie

    meatball subs with marinara and mozzarella

    Easy Meatball Subs

    Easy Meatball Subs come together in minutes and are a delicious crowd pleasing dinner. I use store- bought frozen meatballs to keep this recipe super simple!
    4.98 from 35 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved to Grow
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    frozen meatballs: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    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:

    HOMEMADE MEATBALLS- If you prefer to make your own meatballs, check out either one of these recipes:
    • Amazing Baked Italian Meatballs
    • Easy Instant Pot Italian Meatballs
    • Instant Pot Turkey Meatballs
    • Chicken Meatballs
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
    Jump to Comments

    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Theresa

      February 18, 2023 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      Very good subs.

      Reply
    2. Toni

      December 06, 2022 at 5:15 pm

      5 stars
      These were a HUGE hit with my husband and grandson! So quick and easy to make, thank you so much for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Marsha

      September 10, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      5 stars
      These were superb! The exact recipe I needed to use my left over crockpot meatballs in spaghetti sauce. Thank you! Sooooo easy sooooo delicious – give it a try it won’t disappoint.

      Reply
    4. K

      July 21, 2022 at 12:34 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
    5. Linda

      January 13, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      4 stars
      I used home made frozen Turkey meatballs and leftover pasta sauce with veggies. Easy and good,

      Reply
    6. Michelle Weber

      November 03, 2021 at 5:42 am

      5 stars
      can you make these ahead of time and freeze, if so, how do you warm them back up?

      Reply
      • Susie Weinrich

        November 03, 2021 at 9:55 am

        I have not tested these in the freezer. I would be afraid the bread would get really soggy from the marinara.

        Reply
    7. Linda Kinnaird

      August 28, 2021 at 2:52 pm

      5 stars
      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!!!

      Reply
      • Misty

        December 21, 2022 at 5:06 pm

        5 stars
        Even if the meatballs are fully cooked frozen…still need to cook on low for 6 hours?

        Reply
        • Susie Weinrich

          December 22, 2022 at 9:23 am

          I would think if they are fully cooked you could lessen the time to 2-3 hours.

        • Susie Weinrich

          December 22, 2022 at 9:23 am

          Or if you have an instant pot… maybe a 5 minute cook time.

    8. MacKenzie R Grinnell

      January 20, 2021 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
    9. April

      December 02, 2020 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      My daughter is a picky eater and she loves these. These are also great on Hawaiian subs.

      Reply
    10. Beverly

      August 16, 2019 at 8:40 pm

      meatballs from Costco can be serve over rice – make’s delicious dinner

      Reply
      • Susie

        August 17, 2019 at 11:45 am

        Great idea!!

        Reply
    11. Anna

      June 13, 2018 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Susie

        June 13, 2018 at 11:06 am

        Definitely! It is a super easy dinner to make!

        Reply
    12. Leslie

      June 11, 2018 at 1:52 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Susie

        June 11, 2018 at 2:49 pm

        Great! I hope the kiddos love them!

        Reply
    13. Donna

      June 11, 2018 at 12:20 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Susie

        June 11, 2018 at 2:48 pm

        Yes- it is SOOO fast! Definitely give them a try next time you are wiped out from a long day at the pool

        Reply
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