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This Meatball Parm Hero is full of flavor, texture and aroma from savory Italian meatballs tossed in a hearty tomato sauce and nestled between provolone, mozzarella and grated cheeses on a long roll then broiled for a toasty finish. Heaven on a roll, if you ask me!
One of the things I recommend with both my homemade meatball and sauce recipes is to make a double batch and freeze some for a future use. Or, at a minimum, make enough for leftovers.
And, this Meatball Parm Hero is one of the main reasons why! With just a few ingredients, you can put together this dreamy, classic Italian meatball, sauce, melted cheese and crusty bread combo in no time. Plus, I guarantee, you will have a lot of silence around the table once that first bite is taken and everyone is just absorbed in their own personal food orgy.
I am and have always been a BIG fan of sandwiches. Eating them, making them, creating new versions of them … ALL OF IT. I’ve created more sandwich programs over my career than I can even remember, and they were all the best and fun to work on.
I inherited the sandwich love from my mom Marguerite, who was the queen of making sandwiches. Many a school day I was given sliced leftover meatballs and broccoli rabe on toasted wheat bread for lunch, to be eaten at room temp. It worked, and I loved it. (And, yes, others were always curious.)
Mom also made a mean chicken cutlet and broccoli rabe sandwich!
I’ve always been partial to a hot sandwich with extra sauce, extra au jus, extra everything that is extra messy. While I would definitely not describe myself as extra, my food creations definitely are!
This Meatball Parm Hero is a perfect example of extra and a loving homage to my mom–with not one but three different cheeses, three drizzles of sauce in between the delicious layers and (at least) three big elements of flavor (taste, texture and aroma) all present. Mangia bene!
Hero vs. Sub vs. Grinder vs. Hoagie – What’s the Difference?
I believe Ella and Louis would say that it’s a simple matter of tomato, tomahto . . . and, I’ll add where you live.
Heroes, subs (a.k.a., submarine), grinders and hoagies are all sandwiches that are on some type of long roll (generally), as opposed to a “regular sandwich” where the ingredients are between two slices of bread. Most people use one term exclusively for a cold sandwich and another for a hot sandwich, but not always.
Sub seems to be the most widespread term across the US, while hoagie is very much a Philadelphia-metro area and Pennsylvania word. Hero is a New York City-metro area term, while grinder screams New England.
For what it’s worth, as a south (New) Jersey native, which is a suburb of Philadelphia, I grew up calling cold sandwiches on a long roll hoagies and hot sandwiches on a long roll subs, with the exception of the ubiquitous Philly cheesesteak, which had no modifier and was simply a cheesesteak. Having lived in New York City for a big chunk of my life, I also adopted the word hero.
As William Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet so eloquently said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”
But, Why Is It Called Parm . . .
. . . when it’s typically made with mozzarella? Aaaahhhh, another somewhat controversial term for this sandwich, but really only if you are native Italian from Italy.
Italian Americans seem to have perfected the art of parm many years ago. What I mean by that is–the undeniably perfect combination of hearty tomato sauce + mozzarella + grated cheese (sometimes) + any number of wonderful main parts (chicken cutlets, meatballs, veal cutlets, breaded eggplant, Italian sausage, fried shrimp and even baked crispy zucchini.) that is heated together to achieve maximum cheese pull gooeyness and then served on either a long roll or plated with spaghetti is distinctly an Italian-American creation and a mainstay in red sauce restaurants and home kitchens.
While the concept of parm/parmesan/parmigiana for sure has its roots in the (often unbreaded and lighter classic melanzane alla Parmigiana of Sicily and the southern Italian regions, the use of the word “parm” (which is more of a northern Italian term) is still not 100% understood. My theory is that this dish was originally always paired with a cow’s milk cheese as opposed to the more common pecorinos (sheep’s milk cheeses) of the southern regions.
Regardless, parms in general, and this Meatball Parm Hero in particular, are top notch in my book! Hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients for Meatball Parm Hero
To make this meatball parm sandwich, we’ll need:
- Meatballs: Almost any type of Italian meatball can be used for this great sandwich, from pan-fried made with beef, pork and veal, to baked meatballs, to turkey meatballs and more.
- Tomato Sauce: Either homemade or store-bought, and spicy if you want!
- Bread: : As with all sandwiches, the bread is very important here. I suggest a 6-8” long sub roll or equivalent amount of Italian loaves (seeded or unseeded). Use the best quality that you can find–not too soft and not too crusty, something that will hold together well since this hero is on the saucy side. (See the photo above with the breads that I used.)
- Cheese: We use three different types of cheeses in this hero of a sandwich! First, sliced mild provolone, which also helps to keep the sauce from making the bread too soggy. Then, grated sharp Pecorino Romano Cheese or savory parmesan. And finally, shredded mozzarella on top for that ooey gooey melty factor. (Note: It’s always best to shred the mozzarella yourself to avoid the anti-caking agents that are added to pre-shredded cheeses. I always buy whole milk block mozzarella and then shred it myself on a box grater.)
Just a note about the meatballs and sauce–homemade is obviously best, and super easy assuming that you’re working with leftovers from Sunday dinner. But, don’t let not having time to make everything from scratch keep you from enjoying this super easy dinner. There are lots of great options out there that you can purchase. Many Italian specialty markets or butchers will also sell homemade meatballs and sauce, which would be perfect.
How to Make Meatball Parm Hero, with Pro-Tips!
Here are the main steps for how to make this meatball parmesan hero:
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the meatballs and sauce together until meatballs are heated through. Then, turn the broiler on high and arrange a rack at the top of the oven.
- PRO-TIP: Heat the meatballs in sauce prior to building the sandwich to ensure that they are heated through, which will likely not happen in the short broiling time.
- Slice the rolls or loaves ¾ open and place on a parchment-line sheet pan. If using loaves, slice them in half or thirds to portion.
- PRO-TIP: If the roll is very soft, put the sliced open roll in a 450°oven for a couple minutes to toast it a bit.
- Place two slices provolone cheese on the roll to cover as much as the roll as possible. Break up the slices of provolone, if necessary.
- PRO-TIP: The provolone will help keep the sauce from making the bread too soggy.
- Then, spoon some sauce on the provolone cheese.
- PRO-TIP: Use less sauce, if desired. I like my parm sandwiches saucy, but use as much or as little sauce as you would like.
- Next, place 3 meatballs with sauce on each roll. Cut the meatballs in half if they are too large.
- PRO-TIP: Use more or less meatballs depending on the size of each roll.
- Sprinkle the meatballs with grated cheese.
- Spoon a little more sauce over the grated cheese.
- Then, sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the whole surface.
- Finish with a bit more sauce over the mozzarella.
- Place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasty. That’s it!
- PRO-TIP: Pay close attention during this step and do not walk too far away as the sandwiches can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
- PRO-TIP: Serve the meatball parm hero with extra sauce on the side for all your extra saucy guests that like to dip (like me!)
Favorite Meatball Recipes (+ Italian Sausage)!
Here’s some of my favorite meatball recipes, plus baked Italian sausage–all would be great parm’d up!
What to Serve with Meatball Parm Hero
As this is a pretty hearty and filling sandwich, all a meatball parmigiano sub needs on the side is a light green salad or perhaps a small cup of vegetable soup to balance it out. If you’d like to pair it with something a bit more substantial, here are a few great options:
As far as enhancing the sandwich itself, there are so many accoutrements that make this delicious hero even better. Check out the photo above for some of my favorites: basil pesto drizzled over the finished sub just as it comes out of the oven, roasted long hot or fried peppers, fresh basil leaves, pungent vinegar-marinated peppers (hot or sweet), or some homemade spicy pepper oil drizzled over the whole thing for a serious kick of picante!
If you like this Meatball Parm Hero, check out Zucchini Parmigiana and Pizzaiolo Pasta with Crispy Pepperoni!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions for Meatball Parm Hero
Meatball Parm Hero is a basic recipe with pretty great flavor and texture as is. Having said this, there are always a few substitutions or variations that we can make to it to change up the eating experience abit. Here are a few ideas:
- Change the Cheese: Taleggio, fontina fresh or smoked mozzarella, scamorza, sharp provolone and even a shmear of ricotta are all great options!
- Change the Meat: Use chicken cutlets or Italian sausage for a delicious chicken parmesan or sausage parm sub!
- Make It Spicy! Sprinkle a healthy dose of crushed red pepper flakes over the top before broiling.
- Skip the Bread and Add Pasta: Layer all the ingredients as per the recipe but skip the bread and use a small baking dish. (This can also be done on the stovetop in a small skillet, covered.) Then, pair the meatball parm with a simple pasta pomodoro or spaghetti aglio e olio.
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog Mangia With Michele and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Meatball Parm Hero or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know how it went in the comments below — I love hearing from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more delicious food and what might be going on behind the scenes!
Meatball Parm Hero
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 meatballs, about 2-ounces each (cooked weight; see Note.)
- 3-4 cups tomato sauce, either prepared or store-bought
- 4 6-8” long sub rolls or equivalent amount of Italian loaves (seeded or unseeded)
- 8 slices mild provolone cheese (about 6 ounces)
- ¼ cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Then, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the meatballs and sauce together until meatballs are heated through.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)12 meatballs,, 3-4 cups tomato sauce,
- Turn the broiler on high and arrange a rack at the top of the oven.
- Slice the rolls or loaves ¾ open and place on a parchment-line sheet pan. If using loaves, slice them in half or thirds to portion.4 6-8” long sub rolls
- Place two slices provolone cheese on the roll to cover as much as the roll as possible. Break up the slices of provolone, if necessary. (The provolone will help keep the sauce from making the bread too soggy.)8 slices mild provolone cheese
- Then, spoon some sauce on the provolone cheese.
- Next, place 3 meatballs with sauce on each roll. (Use more or less meatballs depending on the size of each roll. Cut the meatballs in half if they are too large.)
- Sprinkle the meatballs with about 1 tablespoon grated cheese.¼ cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- Spoon a little more sauce over the grated cheese, then sprinkle about ⅓ heaping cup shredded mozzarella over the whole surface (about 2 ounces each). Finish with a bit more sauce over the mozzarella.8 ounces shredded mozzarella
- Place the sandwiches under the broiler and broil until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is toasty. This will take about 5 minutes or so. Pay close attention during this step and do not walk too far away as the sandwiches can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
- Remove from the oven, transfer each sandwich to a plate with a large spatula. Serve with extra sauce, if desired. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- If the roll is very soft, put the sliced open roll in a 450°F oven for a couple minutes to toast it a bit.
- Heat the meatballs in sauce prior to building the sandwich to ensure that they are heated through, which will likely not happen in the short broiling time.
- The meatball size is just a suggestion. Use any size you want and then just cut them in half if they are too large for the sandwich.
- Use less sauce, if desired. I like my parm sandwiches saucy, but use as much or as little sauce as you would like.
Perfect sandwich! And, love all the extra information, Thank you!