Description
Meatball grinders are perfect for game day. Tender meatballs are simmered in marinara sauce, then loaded into hoagie rolls and topped with mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- Meatballs:
- 1 cup soft bread crumbs
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup olive oil for frying
- 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
- Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 serrano pepper, sliced
- 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Assembly:
- 4 Italian-style hoagie buns, split lengthwise
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, divided
- ¼ cup garlic basil spread (see footnote for recipe link)
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil, divided
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
- Combine soft bread crumbs
- dry bread crumbs
- and milk in a large bowl and allow to soak until the bread crumbs absorb most of the milk
- about 10 minutes. Add ground beef
- Italian sausage
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- eggs
- garlic
- Italian seasoning
- and red pepper flakes and mix until thoroughly combined. Form into 16 large meatballs.
- Heat 1 cup olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until browned
- about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center
- about 10 minutes.
- Bring 1 cup marinara sauce to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cooked meatballs and heat through
- about 5 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir onion
- red bell pepper
- and serrano pepper in the hot oil until onion softens
- 5 to 6 minutes. Add Marsala wine
- salt
- and black pepper; cook until wine has evaporated and onion turns golden
- about 10 minutes.
- Spread each hoagie bun with 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese and 1 tablespoon garlic basil spread. Place four meatballs and a spoonful of marinara sauce on top. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Place sandwiches onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and buns are toasted
- about 5 minutes. Top each sandwich with 1/4 of the onion mixture; garnish each sandwich with 2 tablespoons of basil and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Prep Time: 1 hr
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 8