Whether it’s for a cozy weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing weekend feast, this recipe brings together everything we love about Italian-American cuisine. Get ready to savor each bite as the flavors melt together in a symphony of cheesy, saucy goodness. This is one dish you’ll want to make over and over again!
Why You’re Going to Love This Meatball Parmesan Recipe
- Classic Comfort: This meatball parmesan combines the timeless flavors of juicy meatballs, rich marinara, and melted cheese, making it the ultimate comfort food.
- Easy to Prepare: With a simple, straightforward recipe, you’ll have a delicious meal ready to enjoy with minimal effort.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for family dinners, game days, or gatherings, this dish is guaranteed to satisfy everyone at the table.
- Juicy Meatballs: Cooking the meatballs directly in the sauce keeps them tender, moist, and full of flavor, with no need to pre-bake.
- Versatile: While perfect in a hoagie roll, you can also serve these meatballs over pasta or as a standalone dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Meatballs
- Ground beef
- Ground sausage
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Large egg
- Garlic, minced or paste
- Onion powder
- Oregano, dried
- Parsley, dried
- Pepper
- Salt
Tomato Sauce
- Canned peeled tomatoes
- Onion, diced
- Water
- Fresh basil sprig
- Garlic, thinly sliced
- Parsley, dried
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Sugar, optional
Garlic Butter
- Butter, softened
- Garlic, minced
- Parsley, dried
- Salt
For Assembly
- Hoagie rolls
- Provolone cheese slices
- Mozzarella pearls, optional
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Basil, fresh
How to Make Meatball Parmesan
Prepare the Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, heavy cream, grated Parmesan, egg, garlic, onion powder, oregano, parsley, pepper, and salt. Mix well and let the breadcrumbs soak for a few minutes.
- Add the ground beef and sausage to the breadcrumb mixture. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to portion the mixture into evenly sized meatballs. Roll each portion into a ball and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the meatballs to firm them up while you prepare the sauce.
Make the Tomato Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes, sautéing until the onions start to brown around the edges.
- Add the canned tomatoes and water to the pot. Stir to break up the tomatoes, then season with salt, pepper, dried parsley, and a pinch of sugar if needed.
- Carefully place the meatballs into the tomato sauce, ensuring they are fully submerged. Spoon some sauce over the top for even coverage.
- Add a sprig of fresh basil, cover the pot, and let the meatballs simmer over low-medium heat for 1-2 hours, allowing them to cook through and absorb all the flavors.
Make the Garlic Butter
- In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced garlic, dried parsley, and salt. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Assemble the Meatball Parmesan
- Preheat your oven’s broiler or a toaster oven.
- Split the hoagie rolls down the middle and brush the insides with the garlic butter. Place a slice of provolone cheese inside each roll.
- Once the meatballs are fully cooked, place a few meatballs into each roll, topping with mozzarella pearls and another slice of provolone cheese.
- Place the sandwiches under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the rolls are golden brown.
- Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil before serving. Enjoy!
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Refrigeration: Store leftover meatball parmesan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cooked meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: To reheat, place the meatballs and sauce in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through. If reheating a whole sandwich, wrap it in foil and warm in the oven at 350°F until heated.
What to Serve with Meatball Parmesan
Serve your meatball parmesan with a simple green salad or crispy fries.
This homemade meatball parmesan is sure to become a favorite in your household, perfect for any occasion where comfort food is the order of the day.
Meatball Parmesan
Juicy, tender meatballs smothered in rich marinara, topped with gooey, golden provolone and mozzarella, all nestled in a perfectly toasted bun. This homemade meatball parmesan is the comfort food you didn’t know you were craving.
Servings: 6 People
Ingredients
- 5-6 Hoagie rolls
- 8-10 provolone cheese slices
- 1 cup mozzarella pearls optional
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp garlic minced or paste
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp parsley dried
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Tomato Sauce
- 1 28- oz can peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 sprig basil
- 1 tbsp garlic thinly sliced
- 1 tsp parsley dried
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp sugar optional
Garlic Butter
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 1/2 tsp parsley dried
- 1/4 tsp salt
Garnish
- Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Basil
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large bowl mix together all ingredients listed under “Meatballs” except the ground beef and sausage.
- Allow the breadcrumbs 2-3 minutes to rehydrate then add the ground beef and sausage.
- Thoroughly mix until well incorporated. Use an ice cream scoop to portion and roll into balls.
- Transfer to a parchment line baking sheet and place in the fridge to firm up.
Tomato Sauce
- In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add olive oil.
- Sauté onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions start to brown around the edges.
- Add a can of peeled tomatoes and water. Use a spoon to stir and break up the large tomato pieces.
- Season with salt, pepper, dried parsley and some sugar if the sauce is too acidic.
- Place the meatballs directly into the sauce. I know what you’re thinking, but this recipe yields the juiciest meatballs and cuts an extra step.
- Spoon the tomato sauce over the meatballs to make sure they are submerged.
- Add a sprig of basil, cover and allow to cook over low-medium heat for 1-2 hours.
Garlic Butter
- To a small bowl add all ingredients listed under “Garlic Butter” and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
Assemble
- Split the rolls down the middle and brush on the garlic butter. Then some provolone cheese, the cooked meatballs, mozzarella pearls and top with more provolone cheese.
- Place in the oven or toasted and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Once golden brown, garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and basil. Enjoy!
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