Tender meatballs infused with Parmesan, bathed in tangy marinara, and topped with bubbly, melted mozzarella and provolone cheeses, piled on a toasted garlic butter roll—pure comfort on a plate.
When I started working at the Italian restaurant back in the day, well, that day was quite the eye-opener for me. I discovered that the Italian meatball sandwich isn’t actually Italian in origin. Rather, it grew out of the Italian-American communities that began appearing in New York and Philadelphia in the early 1900s.
Italian immigrants brought their culinary heritage—the meatball—with them to the United States. Meatballs, called polpette in Italy, had been a culinary staple for eons. After arriving in America, the immigrants adapted the meatball recipes to their budgets. Because meat was less expensive in America than in Italy, the basic meatball recipes began to incorporate a blend of beef and pork. The resulting larger meatballs had a more robust flavor profile, seasoned with savory herbs like basil, oregano, and garlic, then enhanced with grated Parmesan. Around 1920, on East Coast food carts, those Italian-American meatballs began to appear on a long roll paired with marinara sauce. The newly born meatball sandwich reflected a fusion of Italian old-world flavors and American innovation.
This recipe originates from the restaurant owner’s father, a first generation Italian immigrant, and goes back to those streets in New York. That makes it Italian to my way of thinking. I’ve made a few tweaks to update it for modern times. Even so, I think you’ll love this recipe for it’s authentic Italian flavors as much as I do.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Because they are cooked in the sauce, rather than in the oven, these delicious meatballs have a smooth, almost creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture that will leave an indelible impression on your palette.
- Garlic butter rolls, heavenly meatballs, and melted cheese. Need I say more?
- Let’s face it, meatball sandwiches can be messy. This recipe remedies that by adapting the recipe into an open-faced sandwich.
- The recipe is relatively easy to make with not very much hands-on cooking time.
- Did I say the meatballs are served on garlic butter rolls with melted cheese?
Ingredients for an Italian Parmesan Meatball Sandwich
While this isn’t a difficult recipe to make, it is complex in that it has many steps. So, the first step to preparing this, or any recipe, is to read and understand the complete recipe, collect all the necessary equipment, then gather and measure all the ingredients required to make this Italian Parmesan Meatball Sandwich recipe. The French culinary term for this process is “Mise en Place,” which means “Everything in its Place.” Prereading the recipe, preparing the ingredients, and setting up any needed equipment in advance not only speeds up cooking but also ensures you are familiar with each of the recipe steps, and that all the necessary components of the recipe are within reach and ready for the dish.
Sauce Key Ingredients
- Tomato Sauce – Use your favorite tomato sauce, and keep one of the empty cans to use later in the recipe.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato paste will bring a rich tomato flavor to the sauce. Use your favorite. Keep the empty can for later in the recipe.
- Fresh Garlic – Crushed
- Dry Basil, Oregano, and Thyme – The meatballs will be the star of the sauce so dried herbs work wonderfully in a supporting role.
- Red Pepper Flake – Just a bit, unless you like the heat. Feel free to omit, or adjust to your taste.
Meatball Key Ingredients
- Italian Sausage – Use a regular blend, the fat is your friend to help develop flavor.
- Ground Beef – 80/20 blend or ground chuck. If you use 85/15 or leaner ground beef the meatballs may be a bit drier.
- Crushed Saltine Crackers – I prefer crushed saltine crackers over breadcrumbs. In my opinion they bring a slightly better flavor. Use unsalted crackers and crush them to your preference – for this recipe I go with a coarse crush. If you must use salted crackers, cook a small portion meat mixture and taste it before you add additional salt to the meatball mixture.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese – You can use store bought grated Parmesan however grating your own will have much better flavor.
- Fresh Garlic – Crushed and finely minced.
Rolls
- Unsliced Sub rolls – Unsliced rolls work best so you can create a “meatball boat.”
- Sliced provolone cheese – Using the best cheese you can find will enhance the flavor.
- Mozzarella cheese – Use your favorite Mozzarella cheese.
Making an Italian Parmesan Meatball Sandwich
Making the Sauce
- Add all the sauce ingredients into a large stockpot. Pro-Tip for adding water to the sauce – use the empty tomato paste can. Fill the can with water, pour it into the sauce, then repeat and add a second can of water. You’ll have the perfect amount of water for the amount of tomato paste you used. After you add the water, stir the sauce to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Simmer the sauce on medium-low while you prepare the meatballs.
Making the Meatballs
- Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large mixing bowl – your hands are the best tool for this. Be careful not to overwork the meat mixture to avoid tough meatballs.
- Roll portions of the meat mixture into large balls, depending on your desired size. I have found that roughly 2-inch meatballs are an ideal size for most sub rolls. I use a scale to measure out 3 ounces, which happens to produce about a 2-inch meatball. After you’ve made a few meatballs, you’ll be able to judge the correct amount of meat so you won’t have to weigh all of them. Drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce as you form them (carefully, the sauce may be hot). Don’t stir them into the sauce, simply drop them in.
Don’t attempt to stir the meatballs at this point. They are soft and may come apart if you stir them too much.
- After all of the meatballs are formed and added to the sauce, GENTLY, stir to work all the meatballs down into sauce. Remember, the meatballs are soft so don’t stir too aggressively.
- Continue to simmer the meatballs for 2-hours stirring again after about 1 hour. While the sauce is simmering, a good deal of fat will render from the meatballs, requiring you to remove the fat from the top of the sauce.
Skimming the Fat
- There are dozens of articles and videos online showing how to skim fat from a sauce. I find the old-fashioned “skim with a spoon” method is the fastest and easiest for a sauce with meatballs. Using a large spoon (or ladle), gently lower the spoon into the sauce and skim the fat from the top of the sauce, then pour the fat into one of the empty tomato sauce cans. When all the fat is removed from the sauce, cover the can with foil and place it in the freezer, then throw the frozen can of oil away on trash day.
- After the fat is skimmed off, do a final stir and the meatballs are ready.
Preparing the Rolls and Assembling the Sandwiches
- In a small pan, melt the butter and stir in the garlic and herbs. Lower the heat to maintain a low simmer using caution not to burn the butter.
- Using a very sharp knife, make a ‘V’ cut around the top of the roll. Remove the section inside the cut area.
- Turn on the broiler in your oven. Using a basting or pastry brush, apply the garlic butter mixture to the inside of the cut rolls.
- Place the rolls under a broiler. Cook until just beginning to brown. Remove the toasted rolls from oven, turn the oven to 400° F, then place two slices of provolone cheese onto the roll to cover the removed area. Return to oven for 2 minutes to begin melting the cheese.
Assembling the Sandwiches
- Drizzle a tablespoon of sauce over the provolone cheese then arrange 3 meatballs evenly onto each of the rolls. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over each sandwich.
- Place in oven until the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately.
Variations
- Add sautéed green and red peppers, onions or mushrooms
- Kick up the heat with Pepperoncini peppers
- Replace the mozzarella with bocconcini (baby mozzarella)
- Add roasted cherry tomatoes
Storage
- Italian Parmesan Meatball Sandwiches are best eaten fresh. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
- I don’t recommend freezing Italian Parmesan Meatball Sandwiches.
Meatball Sandwich
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with our Italian Parmesan meatball sandwich. Tender, flavorful meatballs made with a blend of ground beef and pork, seasoned with aromatic herbs and rich Parmesan cheese, are simmered in a robust marinara sauce. Nestled in a toasted garlic roll and topped with melted mozzarella and provolone cheeses, each bite is a savory delight.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Beef, pork, entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 (28 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
- 24 ounces water
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon dry basil
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flake
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces saltine crackers, crushed
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Rolls:
- 6 unsliced sub rolls
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 ounces)
- 6 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dry basil
- 12 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Sauce:
- Using an 8-quart stockpot (or similar) add 2 cans of tomato sauce and one can of tomato paste, stir to combine. Add 24 ounces of water, stir to fully combine with the tomato sauce.
- Turn the stove burner to medium.
- Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, and red pepper flake to the stockpot. Stir to combine all ingredients.
- Once the sauce heats to a low simmer, turn the heat down to medium-low and maintain a simmer.
Meatballs:
- In a large mixing bowl, add the Italian sausage, ground beef, parmesan cheese, crushed crackers, garlic, eggs, milk, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine, using caution not to overwork the meat mixture.
- Measure the meat mixture into 3 ounce portions and form into 2 inch meatballs. Add the formed meatballs into simmering sauce by simply dropping them into the sauce. Don’t stir the meatballs into the sauce as you make them.
- After all the meatballs are formed and added to the sauce, GENTLY stir the meatballs to cover them all with sauce.
- Allow the meatballs to simmer in the sauce, covered, for 2 hours, stirring once after about an hour.
- Skim the rendered fat from the surface of the sauce.
- Stir the meatballs and lower the heat to low.
Preparing the Rolls:
- In a small frying pan (or sauté pan), melt the butter. Add the crushed garlic, oregano and basil. Lower the heat to maintain a low simmer using caution not to burn the butter.
- Using a very sharp knife, make a ‘V’ cut around the top of the roll. Remove the section inside the cut area.
- Turn on the broiler in your oven. Using a basting or pastry brush, apply the garlic butter mixture to the inside of the cut rolls.
- Place the rolls under a broiler. Cook until just beginning to brown. Remove the toasted rolls from oven, turn the oven to 400° F, then place two slices of provolone cheese onto the roll to cover the removed area. Return to oven for 2 minutes to begin melting the cheese.
Assembling the Sandwiches:
- Drizzle a tablespoon of sauce over the cheese. Then arrange 3 meatballs evenly onto each of the rolls. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over each sandwich.
- Place in oven until the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately.
