Homemade Meatball Subs with Frozen Meatballs

If you ask me, meatball subs are pure comfort food magic.

This hearty sandwich makes a family-friendly dinner that’s loaded with flavor and satisfaction. Tender frozen meatballs get simmered in marinara sauce and piled high on crusty sub rolls.

They’re topped with melted mozzarella cheese and baked until bubbly and golden. The combination of savory meatballs, tangy sauce, and gooey cheese creates the perfect bite every time.

It’s a crowd-pleasing meal that comes together in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights when you need something filling and delicious.

What Kind of Frozen Meatballs Should I Use?

Any brand of frozen meatballs will work great for this recipe, so don’t stress too much about finding a specific type. I personally love Costco’s Italian Beef Meatballs because they’re well-seasoned and have a good texture, but you can use whatever you find at your grocery store. Turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs, or classic beef and pork blends all work perfectly fine. The key is to make sure they’re fully cooked according to the package directions before assembling your subs, and if you want extra flavor, you can always simmer them in a bit of marinara sauce for a few minutes to let them soak up those Italian flavors.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is super forgiving and works great with whatever you have on hand:

• Frozen meatballs: Any brand of frozen meatballs will work here – beef, turkey, or even chicken. You can also use homemade meatballs if you have them in the freezer. Just adjust cooking time if they’re different sizes.
• Hoagie rolls: Hot dog buns work perfectly fine as mentioned, but you can also use sub rolls, French bread, or even regular sandwich bread in a pinch. Just toast them lightly to prevent sogginess.
• Marinara sauce: Any pasta sauce will do the trick – try arrabbiata for extra heat, or even pizza sauce works well. If you’re out of sauce, mix tomato paste with a little water and Italian seasoning.
• Mozzarella or provolone cheese: These cheeses melt beautifully, but cheddar, Swiss, or even American cheese will work if that’s what you have. Pre-shredded cheese saves time, but block cheese melts better.
• Italian seasonings: If you don’t have all the individual spices, Italian seasoning blend works great as a substitute. Start with about 1-2 teaspoons and adjust to taste.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with frozen meatballs is not heating them through completely, which can leave you with cold centers and uneven texture – always check that they’re steaming hot all the way through before assembling your subs.

Another common error is skipping the step of browning the meatballs in a pan with a little olive oil, which adds extra flavor and prevents them from getting soggy when you add the marinara sauce.

Don’t overload your hoagie rolls with too much sauce or cheese, as this will make them fall apart and create a messy eating experience – aim for just enough sauce to coat the meatballs and a moderate amount of cheese that melts nicely.

Finally, toast your rolls lightly before adding the filling to give them some structure and prevent them from getting too soggy from the sauce.

What to Serve With Meatball Subs?

These hearty meatball subs are pretty filling on their own, but I love serving them with crispy baked potato wedges or classic french fries for the full sandwich shop experience. A simple side salad with Italian dressing helps cut through all that cheesy goodness, or you could go with some pickled peppers and olives for a more authentic deli vibe. If you want to keep things easy, a bag of kettle-cooked chips works great too – the crunch is a nice contrast to the soft, saucy sandwich. For feeding a crowd, I sometimes make a big antipasto salad with salami, cheese, and marinated vegetables that everyone can share.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: Leftover meatball subs are best stored in the fridge wrapped in foil or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The bread might get a little soft, but they’re still delicious! I actually think they taste even better the next day when all the flavors have had time to meld together.

Make Ahead: You can totally prep the meatballs in sauce ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just assemble the subs when you’re ready to eat them so the bread doesn’t get soggy. This is perfect for busy weeknight dinners!

Warm Up: To reheat your leftover subs, wrap them in foil and pop them in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave them for about 30-45 seconds, but the oven method keeps the bread from getting too chewy.

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	8-10 minutes
Total Time	18-25 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1400
• Protein: 70-80 g
• Fat: 60-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 100-110 g

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 16 frozen italian-style beef meatballs (such as costco brand)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce, split
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone, portioned
• Grated parmesan cheese, as desired

For the rolls and topping:

• 4 hoagie rolls (substitute hot dog buns if preferred)
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Garlic powder, to taste
• Dried basil, to taste
• Dried oregano, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• Red pepper flakes, optional

Step 1: Bake the Meatballs

• 16 frozen Italian-style beef meatballs (such as Costco brand)

Bake the frozen Italian-style beef meatballs as directed on the package.

This usually involves spreading them out on a baking sheet in a single layer and cooking them in a preheated oven until heated through and golden-brown.

Once cooked, set them aside.

I find letting the meatballs rest for a minute ensures they stay juicy inside.

Step 2: Toast the Hoagie Rolls

• 4 hoagie rolls (substitute hot dog buns if preferred)
• extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• garlic powder, to taste
• dried basil, to taste
• dried oregano, to taste
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Slice the hoagie rolls open without fully separating them and lay them face up on a sheet pan.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and generously sprinkle with garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and, if you prefer a little heat, some red pepper flakes.

Toast the rolls in the preheated oven for about 5 minutes until they are crisp and aromatic.

Step 3: Assemble the Meatball Hoagies

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce, split
• grated parmesan cheese, as desired
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone, portioned
• baked meatballs from Step 1
• toasted hoagie rolls from Step 2

On the bottom half of each toasted hoagie roll, spread about 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce.

If you like, sprinkle a good layer of grated parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Arrange 4 baked meatballs (from Step 1) onto each bun.

Spoon another tablespoon of marinara sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone over each sandwich.

Step 4: Melt the Cheese and Serve

Place the assembled hoagies back onto the sheet pan and return them to the oven for 3–5 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

For a finishing touch, I sometimes add a sprinkle of fresh basil or a dash more parmesan right before eating for an extra boost of flavor.