These may look simple, and to be honest, they are. But what makes them stand out is the to die for sauce, that will literally have your kids begging for more! Well, that’s what happens in our household anyhow.
Now, I tend to make meatball subs from scratch (insert, time consuming), however, if you are seeking to use this as a quick weeknight meal, you will need to do the meal prep the day before. Then all that’s left to do, is to re-heat and assemble when you get home, and you have yourself a quick dinner.
If, however, you prefer to prepare and eat all in the same day, then you will need to put a bit of time aside to make these up. For us, this tends to be a weekend dinner.
Now, before you start with the….there are quicker ways than this, I’m sure that there are, probably loads of ‘em, but, this is my way and it’s a little more leisurely, plus Miss Y can assist with the mushing and rolling of the meatballs as well as the occasional stir of the sauce. And, let’s face it, cooking with kids, whilst messy, can be fun and is a great way to spend some quality time together. I mean, is there nothing better than running around the kitchen, with meaty hands held out, whilst chuckling to, and at each other, ‘I’m going to get you!’
So what are you left with? A soft baguette, loaded with flavoursome meatballs and smothered in a rich Italian tomato sauce, made the way I would envision a Nonna to do, and to top it off… freshly grated Parmesan Cheese! Yum! This is definitely a crowd pleaser in this household!
Meatball Subs
Ingredients
- 1 large baguette / french stick
Sauce
- 1 400gram can Italian Diced Tomatoes
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into 4 pieces
- 1 small red onion peeled and halved
- 2 stems fresh basil
- 85 grams parmesan rind
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Meatballs
- 500 grams pork mince
- 500 grams veal mince
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 onion, brown or red finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded or minced
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
To Make The Sauce
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Add all ingredients to a large pot.
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Bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer.
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Cover with a lid and stir every 5-10 minutes for 40-45 minutes or until slightly reduced and the carrot is becoming tender.
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Remove from the heat and discard the rind, carrot, basil and onion. Season with salt.
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Set aside until ready to use.
To Make the Meatballs
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- recipe makes approx 47 meatballs.
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Pre-heat the oven 200C / 400F / Gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.
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Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Using a spoon or your hands, work the mixture together until combined.
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Use a tablespoon measure to scoop out the meatball mix. Place the mix between the palms of your hands and roll into a ball.
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Once rolled, add each of the meatballs to the baking tray in a single layer, leaving some room between them for the air to get around and cook.
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Bake for 18 – 22 minutes or until cooked through. Check if cooked by cutting one of the meatballs in half. If the middle is still pink, return to the oven to continue cooking, if it is browned and the same colour as the outside, then it’s done.
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Remove from the oven and toss through the sauce. If the sauce has cooled during this process, then simply place it back over a low heat and heat through to desired temperature.
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