Grilled Cheesy Meatball Sub with Herbed Passata Sauce
When you try this grilled cheesy meatball sub, your tastebuds won’t know what hit them. It’s loaded with cheese and topped with a delicious herbed passata sauce.
Wow, guys! When you wrap your lips around this sub, I guarantee you’ll be making it again and again.
I enjoyed combining this recipe to create a super filling and flavourful meal neatly packed in a lightly toasted roll.
The meatballs are succulent and tender, with a hint of parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley.
But the hero in this recipe is definitely the sauce.
I drew inspiration for the sauce from my bacon-wrapped cannelloni recipe I created some time ago.
There have been tweaks made to the sauce, but I believe it’s a winner.
The recipe comfortably serves 4-5 people, depending on the size of the meatballs.
So let’s get into it, shall we?
Ingredients you’ll need to make a grilled cheesy meatball sub
Meatballs:
- 800g minced beef (80% 20% mix)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for greasing)
Sauce:
- 700ml passata sauce
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 1 tbsp fresh chives
- 2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
- Salt & black pepper (to taste)
Topping:
- 4 hot dog rolls (have 5 rolls on hand just in case)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- Parsely (optional: for garnish)
Meatball Prep
Add 800g minced beef to a large bowl, combine with parmesan cheese, parsley, 2 eggs, and bread crumbs, then season with salt and black pepper.
Now it’s time to get your hands dirty.
Mix everything together and combine well with the egg and bread crumbs. Then roll the minced beef into one giant solid meatball.
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) fan forced.
Place a sheet of baking paper onto a baking tray and lightly brush with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Roll each meatball slightly smaller than a golf ball, making sure each one is well compacted.
This will prevent the meatballs from falling apart when placed into the passata later.
Continue rolling meatballs, place them onto the baking tray, and repeat until all the minced beef is gone.
Place them into the oven for 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, remove and set them aside.
How to make delicious herbed sauce?
You can’t have a grilled cheesy meatball sub without the sauce. And I’m confident you’re going to love the unique flavours in this one.
While the meatballs are pre-cooking, this would be the perfect time to prepare the sauce.
Begin by finely chopping 2 tbsp of fresh basil, 1 tbsp of fresh chives, and 2 tsp of minced garlic if desired.
Pour a 700ml bottle of passata sauce into a large pot over med-high heat and add the minced garlic.
Stir the sauce until it’s almost boiled, add the herbs and continue stirring until you begin to smell the basil.
Season the sauce with salt and black pepper, and regularly taste to you’re happy with the flavour.
Place a lid onto the pot to prevent the passata from making a mess all over your kitchen, and turn the heat down to med-low.
This stage will give the herbs time to fully release their flavour.
Sauce done!
Place the meatballs into the sauce
As the title suggests, get those bad boys into the sauce and roll them around, so they are fully coated in sauce.
Pop the lid back onto the pot and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
Turn the meatballs at the 5-minute mark to prevent the bottoms from burning.
Time to prepare the subs for the meatballs!
Turn your grill to high and move the oven rack towards the grill.
Place the subs (rolls) onto a baking tray bottom side up and lightly toast them for 1-2 minutes.
This will prevent the bottom of your subs from becoming soggy.
If you wish, you can toast the rolls inside, but I found it wasn’t needed.
Cut the subs down the middle but don’t cut all the way through.
Sprinkle a light bed of cheddar cheese inside each sub, then place 3-4 meatballs on top.
Using a small spoon, drizzle the sauce over the top of the meatballs and top with more cheddar and parmesan cheese.
It’s grilling time!
You are just moments away from getting stuck into the best grilled cheesy meatball sub you’ve ever eaten.
And there’s one final step before that can happen.
Pop those bad boys under the grill for 2-3 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and the subs are lightly toasted.
Garnish with chopped parsley, serve hot, and most importantly, enjoy!
You’ve got to try some of my favourite recipes!
It doesn’t stop at my amazing grilled cheesy meatball sub.
We have many great-tasting recipes at JustSoYum that we’d love you to try.
- Crispy Basil and Parsley Weber Q Sausage Rolls
- Chicken Salad Wrap With Homemade Mayonnaise
- Homemade Deluxe Cheeseburger
- Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potatoes
- Meatballs and Gnocchi in a Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Grilled Cheesy Meatball Sub with Herbed Passata Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 800 g minced beef at least 20% fat
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp parsley fresh
- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil for greasing
Passata Sauce:
- 700 g Italian passata
- 2 tbsp basil fresh
- 1 tbsp chives fresh
- 2 tsp minced garlic (optional)
- salt & black pepper to taste
Optional Toppings:
- 4 hot dog rolls large & crispy
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese grated
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- fresh parsley for garnishing
Instructions
Preparing the meatballs:
- Add 800g beef mince to a large bowl, then season with salt and black pepper. Add ½ cup of parmesan cheese and 4 finely diced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp parsley, 2 eggs and 4 tbsp of bread crumbs.
- Get your hands in there and combine the mixture thoroughly until the beef mince has compacted into one large ball.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F) fan forced. Place a sheet of baking paper onto a tray and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over the baking paper to prevent the meatballs from sticking. Begin Rolling each meatball to your desired size and place them onto the baking tray.
- When all the minced beef is gone, place the meatballs into the oven for 8-10 minutes. Once the meatballs are pre-cooked, set them aside.
Preparing the herbed sauce:
- Finely chop 2 tbsp of fresh basil and 1 tbsp of fresh chives. Then add a 700g jar of passata sauce to a medium-sized pot. Don’t add the herbs to the sauce just yet.
- Cook the passata over medium-high heat until it begins to boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Add the fresh herbs and 2 tsp of minced garlic if you desire. Continue stirring the sauce until all the flavours from the herbs have been released. Taste the sauce regularly and season with salt & black pepper to taste.
- Place the meatballs into the sauce, and roll them around, so they are fully coated. Place a lid onto the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, turning regularly to prevent the meatballs from burning.
Preparing the Subs:
- Turn your oven to grill and let it preheat. Place the rack higher to help the cheese melt and brown.
- Turn your grill to high and move the oven rack towards the grill. Place the subs (rolls) onto a baking tray, so the backside is facing up and lightly toast them for 1-2 minutes. This will prevent the bottom of your subs from becoming soggy.
- Cut open the rolls, making sure not to cut all the way through. Add the meatballs to the rolls on a bed of grated cheddar cheese.
- For the topping, use a teaspoon to drizzle some more herbed sauce over the meatballs, then sprinkle a generous amount of grated cheddar cheese and some finely grated parmesan cheese.
- Place the sub/s into the oven to grill for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish your subs with chopped parsley and serve.
