Meatball Sandwich

This hearty Meatball Sandwich recipe features tender meatballs smothered in flavorful marinara sauce, topped with melted cheese, pan fried garlicky zucchini and served on foccacia.

Ingredients and substitutions for the Meatball Sandwich

• Ground beef: Ground or minced beef is best here, though you could replace in equal measure with ground pork or a plant based meat replacement, if you prefer.
• Marinara sauce: For ease and efficiency, you can use a storebought one here, however, there is also a recipe to homemake your own sauce in the notes section.
• Cheese: Two types of cheeses are used here, a mild provolone or gloucester cheese and a melty mozzarella. A smoked gouda or applewood would be superb here. The melty mozzarella is perfect on top of the meatballs.
• Zucchini: Fresh grilled zucchini adds a balance to the richness of the meatballs, sauce and cheese. You could replace with peppers or some greens like peppery rocket.
• Garlic: The savoriness of garlic with the zucchini really makes this sandwich, if you prefer to leave out, you can do so.
• Mustard and spices: The mustard compliments the cheese and zucchini flavors.
• Foccacia: Thick airy foccacia soaks up all the sauce. Any thick bread would work here such as ciabatta.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make a Meatball Sandwich:

Step 1: Create your meatballs: Combine the meat, seasonings and egg in a bowl and form 8 meatballs.

Step 2: Zucchini: Slice your zucchini nice and thin and cook with garlic until browned.

Step 3: Butter sauce: Stir the melted butter, remaining garlic and wholegrain mustard together and brush over half the sandwich.

Step 4: Cheese: Lay your sliced cheese on the opposite half and place under the grill until melty and the base is a little golden.

Step 5: Cook the meatballs: Cook until browned, adding tomato sauce and cooking until bubbling.

Step 6: Meatball + sandwich: Spoon your meatballs onto the bread and top with a little tomato sauce, finish with buffalo mozzarella slices and grill until melty.

Step 8: Serve: Plate up your meatball sandwiches and dig in. Enjoy!

FAQ's for the best Meatball Sandwich

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Meatball Sandwich

Sylvie Taylor

Taking full advantage of the full abundance of summer produce with this zucchini and tomato sauce meatball sandwich recipe for a fine way to bid those warmer days adieu.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 722 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Meatballs

• 400 grams / 14 ounces minced beef
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 1 egg
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ cup marinara sauce

Sandwich

• 1 medium focaccia loaf
• 1 medium zucchini
• 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 40 grams / 2 ¾ tablespoons butter melted
• 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
• 40 grams Gloucester or Provolone cheese sliced
• 30 grams buffalo mozzarella sliced thickly

Instructions

 

Meatballs

• Place the minced beef, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, 1 egg and finely chopped garlic in a bowl and combine until well mixed.
• Roll into 8 equally sized meatballs and set aside.
• Preheat the grill to 220C/430F.

Sandwich

• Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on medium high with a teaspoon of olive oil.
• Thinly slice the zucchini into quarters and then each quarter into thirds and place into the frying pan and add 1 portion of the finely chopped garlic therein.
• Cook until browned, but still firm, approximately 2 minutes either side.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Slice your focaccia in half and lay the zucchini on the top half, topping with the sliced gloucester cheese.
• Place the butter into a small ramekin and melt for 25 seconds in the microwave. Add the wholegrain mustard and remaining finely chopped garlic, stirring to combine evenly.
• Brush the garlic butter over the bottom half of your sandwich.
• Place under the grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the base is golden. Remove and set aside.
• Meanwhile, add a little more olive oil into the frying pan and sprinkle the salt evenly over all the meatballs before placing into the frying pan.
• Cook evenly on medium high heat for 3 minutes each side until it is cooked in the center.
• Add the tomato sauce and continue cooking for a further minute until well heated.
• Remove from the heat and carefully spoon the meatballs onto the base of your sandwich, spooning over a little tomato sauce and then topping with a slice of buffalo mozzarella.
• Return to the oven for 2 minutes to melt.
• Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

• Zucchini: Fresh grilled zucchini adds a balance to the richness of the meatballs, sauce and cheese. You could replace with peppers or some greens like peppery rocket.
• Cheese: Two types of cheeses are used here, a mild provolone or gloucester cheese and a melty mozzarella. A smoked gouda or applewood would be superb here. The melty mozzarella is perfect on top of the meatballs.
• Foccacia: Thick airy foccacia soaks up all the sauce. Any thick bread would work here such as ciabatta.
• Homemade foccacia: If you want to make the bread, this recipe halved is the perfect amount for the bread needed for the sandwich.
• Homemake the tomato sauce: If you want to homemake your tomato sauce; place 1 x 400 gram/12 ounce can of tomatoes, 1 clove finely chopped garlic, fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary goes particularly well with this), a pinch of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and a little olive oil in a saucepan and heat, simmering for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to allow the flavors to fully infuse.
• Customize the sandwich: Feel free to add toppings like sliced peppers, onions, or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for an extra burst of flavor.
• Make the meatballs ahead of time: You can prepare the meatballs ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to assemble the sandwich.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

Nutrition

Calories: 722kcal

Keyword dinner, lunch, sandwich

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