
Mini Meatball Subs
Juicy, tender mini meatballs simmered in a rich marinara sauce and piled into soft slider rolls with melted mozzarella — a crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly dinner that comes together in under an hour. Perfect for weeknight meals or casual get-togethers.
6 servings · Prep 20 min · Cook 30 min · Total 50 min
American · Italian · Dinner · Lunch · Main Course
Ingredients
Open in recipe scaler →Main
1 lb ground beef 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio
0.25 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg lightly beaten
2 tbsp whole milk
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground- 12 piece slider rolls soft, such as Hawaiian or potato rolls
Hawaiian rolls
potato rolls
1.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
0.5 tsp white sugar to balance acidity
Equipment
Oven
Stovetop
Saucepan
Aluminum Foil
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Mixing Bowl
Pot
Broiler
Wooden Spoon
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Saucepan (1 Quart)
Mixing Bowl (4 Quarts)
Instructions
- Preheat your #[Oven] to ![400°F] and line a #[Baking Sheet] with #[Aluminum Foil] or #[Parchment Paper]. In a large #[Mixing Bowl], combine the @[Ground Beef], @[Italian-Seasoned Breadcrumbs], @[Large Egg], @[Milk], @[Garlic] minced, @[Italian Seasoning], @[Salt], and @[Black Pepper]. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — don't overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.
- Roll the meat mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter (roughly 1 tablespoon each), and place them on the prepared #[Baking Sheet] spaced about 1 inch apart. You should get around 24 mini meatballs. Bake for ~[15–18 minutes], until cooked through and lightly browned on the outside.
- While the meatballs bake, combine the @[Crushed Tomatoes], @[Tomato Sauce], @[Dried Basil], and @[White Sugar] (if using) in a large #[Saucepan] over ^[medium heat]. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Once the meatballs are done, add them directly to the sauce and let everything simmer together for ~[8–10 minutes] so the meatballs absorb the flavors.
- Split the @[Slider Rolls] and place them open-faced on the #[Baking Sheet]. Spoon 2 meatballs with sauce onto the bottom half of each roll. Top generously with @[Shredded Mozzarella Cheese]. Return to the #[Oven] (or #[Broiler] on ^[high]) for ~[3–5 minutes] until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Close the rolls, garnish with @[Fresh Parsley] if desired, and serve immediately.




