Smashed Meatball Subs
Smashed Meatball Subs are the ultimate comfort food! Cheesy, saucy, and perfect for game day, Sunday lunch, or a busy weeknight. They’re made with juicy baked meatballs, marinara sauce, gooey cheese, and toasted rolls with balsamic glaze. A fun way to use up leftover meatballs!
There’s just something about a messy, saucy sandwich that makes everyone happy, isn’t there? These smashed meatball subs are one of those recipes that bring people to the table fast.
I love serving them on game days, when the living room is full of friends and the energy is high, but they’re equally perfect for a cozy Sunday lunch or even a busy weeknight dinner.
The best part? The meatballs can be made ahead of time (or pulled right out of the freezer if you’re like me and always keep a stash ready). Smashing them in a hot skillet gives those crispy edges we all love, and then a blanket of marinara and cheese takes them straight into comfort food heaven.
Serve them on garlicky toasted rolls with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing sandwich that tastes like way more effort than it really was.
You’ll love this recipe because…
- It’s a crowd-pleaser—whether it’s football Sunday, family lunch, or an easy dinner everyone will fight over the last bite.
- You can make the meatballs ahead of time (or even freeze them!) and turn leftovers into a whole new meal.
- Smashing the meatballs in a hot skillet gives them crispy edges that soak up all the sauce and cheese.
- It takes less than 30 minutes from skillet to table.
Why These Subs Work for Any Occasion
One of my favorite things about these Smashed Meatball Subs is how versatile they are. They’re hearty enough for Sunday dinner, fun enough for game day, and quick enough for a weeknight meal when you’re short on time.
If you’ve ever made a big batch of meatballs, you know they’re great to have stashed in the fridge or freezer. But eating spaghetti and meatballs night after night can get boring. That’s where this recipe comes in! By smashing the meatballs in a skillet, loading them with sauce and cheese, and piling them into garlicky toasted rolls, you’ve got a totally different meal that feels fresh and exciting—without extra effort.
These sub sammiches also make amazing party food. Picture a platter of cheesy, saucy subs on the coffee table during game day. Everyone can grab one, no forks required, and you’ll be the MVP of the snack spread.
You could totally turn these into sliders, too!
Ingredients
- 6 baked meatballs (use my oven-baked meatball recipe)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (I used Graza’s Frizzle Oil)
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce (I used Carbone’s)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2–3 sub rolls
- 2 tablespoons garlic herb butter
- Balsamic glaze, for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep:
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Slice your sub rolls in half lengthwise. - Sear & Smash the Meatballs:
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then place the meatballs into the skillet. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently smash them down. Let cook undisturbed for 3 minutes to get crispy edges. - Sauce & Cheese:
Flip the meatballs, pour marinara sauce over top, then sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan evenly across. - Bake:
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Switch to broil for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling. - Toast the Rolls:
While the meatballs bake, spread garlic herb butter onto your sub rolls and toast them in the oven until golden. - Assemble:
Drizzle the toasted rolls with balsamic glaze. Spoon the saucy, cheesy smashed meatballs onto the bottom rolls, top with the other half, and serve hot.
Tips & Tricks
- Make-Ahead Meatballs: Bake your meatballs a day or two ahead, or freeze a batch. When ready to serve, smash, sauce, and cheese them into sliders.
- Leftover Magic: This is hands-down one of the best ways to repurpose leftover meatballs into something brand new. No one will guess they’re leftovers!
- Cheese Swap: Try provolone or fontina for a melty twist.
- Smaller Servings: Make them on slider buns instead of sub rolls for party-perfect bites.
What to Serve With
These sliders are rich and saucy, so pair them with:
- Dippy Salad — this is a great idea when you know your people also love dipping their sammich into ranch!
- Crispy Air Fryer French Fries — you can make these from scratch, or just toss some frozen fries into your air fryer!
- A crisp, cold beer or sparkling water with lemon for balance.
FAQ
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! Prep the meatballs and sauce in advance, then assemble and bake right before serving.
Can I use store-bought meatballs?
Absolutely—use frozen or deli meatballs for a shortcut.
Do I have to use sub rolls?
Nope! Ciabatta rolls, brioche slider buns, or even garlic bread work beautifully.
Do I have to eat it on a sub?
Absolutely not!! I love eating this straight from the skillet… and using my garlic bread as a scooper!
Smashed Meatball Subs
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 subs 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven-baked
- Cuisine: italian-american
Description
Juicy smashed meatballs simmered in marinara, smothered in cheese, and piled into garlicky toasted sub rolls with balsamic glaze. Perfect for game day, Sunday lunch, or a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
-
6 baked meatballs
-
2 tbsp olive oil
-
1 ½ cups marinara sauce
-
1 cup shredded mozzarella
-
½ cup shredded parmesan
-
2–3 sub rolls
-
2 tbsp garlic herb butter
-
Balsamic glaze, to drizzle
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 375°F.
-
Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet. Smash meatballs and cook for 3 minutes.
-
Flip, cover with sauce, and sprinkle with cheeses.
-
Bake 15 minutes; broil until golden.
-
Toast sub rolls with garlic herb butter.
-
Drizzle with balsamic glaze, fill with meatball mixture, and serve.
Notes
Recipe for Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound hot sausage (or mild! It’s your preference)
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 cup Romano Cheese
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Basil
- 1, 5.2-ounce container of Garlic & Herb Boursin Cheese
- In a large bowl, plop in one pound of ground beef and one pound of spicy sausage. You can add the 5.2-ounce container of Boursin cheese, too.
- In a medium bowl, add in your one cup of breadcrumbs, one cup of grated Romano cheese, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, and one teaspoon each of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil.
- Mix all the breadcrumb mixture until it is well incorporated.
- Before you start mixing your meatball mixture, place a cast iron skillet into your oven and set it to 400˚ oven. The skillet can preheat.
- Add this to the meat and Boursin cheese bowl, then using your clean hands, mix the meatball mixture until fully combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop your meatballs out onto a baking tray.
- Once all the meatballs are scooped, oil up your hands, and roll out into even balls.
- When the oven and skillet are preheated, carefully remove the HOT skillet from the oven.
- Pour in 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil into your HOT skillet.
- Place your meatballs half an inch apart from each other in the HOT skillet.
- Any remaining meatballs can be baked on a sheet pan.
- Carefully place the HOT skillet back into the oven, along with the sheet pan, and bake the meatballs at 400˚ for 25 minutes.
- After the meatballs bake for 25 minutes and reach in internal temperature of 165 degrees, remove from the oven carefully.
- Serve however you would like!
- When I freeze my meatballs, I flash freeze them on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper for half an hour, then plop them into a freezer safe container.
