Meatball Subs

My son LOVES anything with beef! He also loves Italian food. Meatball Subs with Homemade Marinara Sauce is one of his favorite meals to eat. I am no Italian but I think my version of Italian is pretty close. My meatballs are moist and my sauce is thick. The recipe for both is below.

The meatballs are simple to make and can be baked or fried in a pan. I also make my sauce homemade but you can pour it from a jar if you like. The meatballs can be baked or fried in a pan.  I tend to bake them almost as much as I fry them. Heat the oven to 400 and bake for about 15 minutes.

Meatball Sub Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef
1 lbs sausage
1 clove garlic, shredded
1 tsp Italian seasoning  1/2 tsp pepper                                                                                             1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2/3 cup milk                                                                                                                   2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jars of spaghetti sauce or a recipe of Marina below.
1 loaves French bread
Mozzarella, shredded or sliced

Directions:
In a large bowl add the milk and bread crumbs.Let sit for 1 minute. Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cheese, bread crumbs, and the meats. Stir well to combine. Heat the oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium high heat.

I used a small ice cream scooper to form my meatballs. Brown the meatballs on at least 2 sides and drain on a wire rack. Don’t worry about cooking them all the way, they will finish cooking in the sauce.

Open the jars of sauce and pour in a large pan. Add the meatballs and stir. Cover and cook on low for 40 minutes (or leave it for longer).
Toast the French bread with slices of mozzarella. Add meatballs and enjoy!

Marina Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil                                                                                                               1 onion, finely diced                                                                                                     1 pinch of salt                                                                                                               1-3 cloves garlic, grated                                                                                             1/2 tsp dried basil                                                                                                       1/2 tsp salt                                                                                                                   1/2 tsp pepper                                                                                                             1/2 tsp fennel seed                                                                                                        1 tsp Italian seasoning                                                                                                 1 tbsp tomato paste                                                                                                       1/4 – 1/2 cup red wine                                                                                                 3/4 cup beef stock                                                                                                            1 (28ounce) can crushed tomatoes.

Directions:

In a medium sized pot add the oil and onions. Cook on medium low until translucent. DO NOT BROWN. Add the cloves of garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.

Add in the seasonings and the tomato paste. Cook for 3-5 minutes stirring often.  Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add the beef broth and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine. Once it simmers reduce heat to low and cook at least an hour. The longer the better. Stirring occasionally.  Enjoy!