Turkey Meatball Subs

Sometimes I get tired and want to take a shortcut. Making meatballs from scratch takes a lot of time and effort. So the other day when I received a shipment of turkey meatballs from my advertisers Shadybrook Farms and Foodbuzz.com I was excited. Shadybrook Farms is known for Turkey. The turkey meatballs that I received were Italian spiced meatballs. So they were the perfect meatball for making subs. I am huge meatball sub guy. I love marinara sauce, meat, cheese and bread. Basically it is the ultimate combination. With some peppers, onions and homemade marinara these subs kicked butt.

Topped with a couple of slices of mozzarella cheese these subs were a hot awesome mess.

Preparing the Vegetables

To start slice the onion and green pepper into strips. Long strips give a nice texture and a little bite to the sandwich.

Making the Marinara Sauce

Next heat a saucepan over medium/high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan and then add the onion and green pepper. Finely dice the garlic and add it to the pan. Fry the vegetables until they start to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

Next add the tomato sauce and paste to the pan. Then add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pan. Stir and let simmer while you prepare the meatballs.

Adding Meatballs and Assembling

Take the meatballs and cut them in half. You can leave them whole, but the round meatballs seem to squeeze out of the sub. By cutting them in half they stay better in the roll. Add them to the sauce and simmer for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are heated through.

Take a submarine or hoagie roll and place it onto a foil lined baking sheet. Then place 6-8 of the meatball halves onto the roll. Layer on some peppers and onions and then coat in sauce. Next layer on some mozzarella cheese.

Broiling and Serving

Turn your broiler to high and let it heat up. Place the baking sheet into the broiler and broil for a minute or two until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Serve with a side of napkins. I probably went through 6 napkins eating this sub. Awesome!

Turkey Meatball Subs

Easy Italian turkey meatball subs with homemade marinara sauce, sautéed peppers and onions, and melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for weeknight dinners.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 hours hrs

Cook Time 15 hours hrs

Total Time 1 day d 6 hours hrs

Servings: 4 subs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Sauce

• 12 turkey meatballs homemade or pre-made
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 medium red onion
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Dash of red pepper flakes optional
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For Assembling

• 8 slices mozzarella cheese
• 4 submarine or hoagie rolls

Method

 

1. Slice the bell pepper and red onion into long strips for added texture.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
3. Add sliced onion and bell pepper to the pan. Finely dice garlic and add to pan.
4. Sauté vegetables for 5-7 minutes until they start to soften.
5. Add tomato sauce and paste to the pan. (Tip: open both ends of tomato paste can to push it out).
6. Add basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir and let simmer.
7. Cut meatballs in half (this prevents them from squeezing out of the roll).
8. Add meatball halves to sauce and simmer for 20 minutes until heated through.
9. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place submarine rolls on the sheet.
10. Layer 6-8 meatball halves on each roll.
11. Top with sautéed peppers and onions, then coat generously with sauce.
12. Layer 2 slices of mozzarella cheese on top of each sub.
13. Preheat broiler to high and let heat up.
14. Place baking sheet in broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
15. Remove from broiler and let cool slightly. Serve with plenty of napkins!

Notes

You can use homemade turkey meatballs or pre-made ones from the store for convenience. The key to keeping meatballs in the sub is cutting them in half instead of leaving them whole. Long vegetable strips add nice texture and prevent a mushy sub. If you prefer, you can make more sauce for dipping. Equipment needed: saucepan, baking sheet, foil, broiler.