Go Back
Print

Meatball Sandwiches

Juicy baked beef meatballs coated in a rich homemade marinara sauce, all tucked up into some fresh, crusty bread make these meatball sandwiches the ultimate in cozy comfort food. The sandwiches are so easy to make and are perfect for a weekend lunch or simple weeknight dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 sandwiches
Calories 674kcal
Author Sally

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 500 grams beef mince
  • 1 egg
  • cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • Salt and pepper

For the marinara sauce:

  • 60 grams ¼ cup dairy-free butter
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 x 700gram jar passata (tomato puree)
  • cup red wine optional
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil

For the sandwiches:

  • 4 long bread rolls like baguettes or hot dog rolls
  • vegan butter

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, add all of the meatball ingredients and use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together until combined. Roll tablespoons of the meatball mixture between your hands to make balls and place evenly onto the prepared baking tray. Repeat with all of the mixture and then place the tray into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
  • While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Place the dairy-free butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it melts. Add in the crushed garlic and mix, turning the heat down to low to make sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Once fragrant, add the passata, red wine if using and herbs. Let very gently simmer for about 20minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and doesn’t have any bitter flavour to it.
  • Add the cooked meatballs to the saucepan with the marinara sauce and stir to coat the meatballs. Set aside.
  • Prepare the bread rolls by cutting them lengthwise without going all the way through. Scoop out a little of the middle of the bread so that the meatballs have room and then butter the insides of the bread roll. Place the bread in the warm oven for about 5 minutes until lightly crunch.
  • Assemble the sandwiches by scooping about 4-5 meatballs into each prepared bread roll with a generous amount of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and chopped fresh parsley.

Notes

Replace any of the dried herbs with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs instead.
Adaptations: I love these sandwiches kept simple but you certainly could jazz them up with all your favourite salad ingredients (I’m thinking lettuce, carrot, olives).
What about cheese? If you’re a cheese eater then yes, this would be a great addition. Sprinkle some parmesan over the top, or maybe some mozzarella and back in the oven for a couple of mins to get all melty.
Dairy-Free Butter: I use Nuttelex to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a ‘buttery’ flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.
Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide

Nutrition

Calories: 674kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 14mg