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I love a good stuffed meatball sandwich because it feels like the perfect mix of comfort food and a big messy hoagie you can barely hold. These mozzarella-stuffed meatballs are tender, cheesy, and simmered in a sauce that has real texture and bite. Every time I make this recipe it ends up being one of those dinners where nobody talks until their plate is empty.
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Why You’ll Love It
A stuffed meatball hoagie gives you everything great about Italian food but in sandwich form. The melted mozzarella inside each meatball adds a surprise burst of flavor that makes every bite more fun. The sauce is hearty and chunky, so the hoagie never feels soggy or flat.
Ingredients And Tools
You will need a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage to get the right balance of richness and seasoning in the stuffed meatball mixture. Italian Breadcrumbs, or panko, parmesan, garlic, egg, herbs, and milk help bind everything together and keep the meatballs juicy. For the sauce you will use diced tomatoes and tomato sauce which gives a rustic texture that works perfectly for sandwiches instead of a smooth pizza style sauce.
How To Make It
Prep
I start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees so it is ready when the stuffed meatballs need to finish. The ground beef, sausage, parmesan, egg, garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, panko, and milk all get mixed together by hand until everything is combined. Once that mixture is ready I form golf ball sized meatballs and press a cube of mozzarella into the center of each one before sealing them tight.
Cook
A hot cast iron skillet or large frying pan helps the stuffed meatballs get color without cooking them all the way through. Once they are browned on all sides I set them aside to start the sauce in the same skillet. I sauté onions and garlic until soft, then cook tomato paste until it darkens before adding diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Here is where your note comes in. You could absolutely use a single 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes and call it a day, but I prefer the combination of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. The chunky pieces add texture and bite which makes the sauce feel more like something meant for a stuffed meatball sandwich instead of a smooth pizza sauce.
When the sauce starts to simmer I nestle the stuffed meatballs into the pan and spoon some sauce over the tops. The skillet goes into the oven uncovered for about 25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the mozzarella inside is melted.
Serve
The hoagie rolls get toasted with butter or garlic butter so they can stand up to the sauce. I add a spoonful of sauce to each roll, place a few stuffed meatballs inside, and top with more sauce and provolone. A quick broil melts the cheese and finishes the sandwich with a golden top.
Serving Tips And Variations
These stuffed meatball hoagies pair well with a simple salad, chips, or even roasted vegetables. You can swap provolone for mozzarella if you want a stronger cheese pull. A drizzle of hot honey adds a cool twist if you like that sweet heat combo.
Pro Tips And Recipe Notes
Make sure the mozzarella cubes are fully sealed inside each stuffed meatball so they do not leak out during cooking. Browning the meatballs before baking builds extra flavor and gives the hoagie more texture. Let the sauce simmer long enough for the diced tomatoes to soften but still keep some bite because that is what makes this version stand out.
Wrap Up
These stuffed meatball hoagies are easy to make, cheesy in all the right places, and loaded with a chunky tomato sauce that works perfectly for sandwiches. They feel special without being complicated and always hit the spot for a cozy dinner. Once you try them you may never go back to plain meatball subs again.
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Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 Lb Ground Beef 80/20
- 1 Lb Italian Sausage sweet, or hot
- 1 C Panko Breadcrumbs
- ¼ C Milk
- ½ C Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Large Egg
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ C Parsley Chopped
- 8 oz Mozzarella ½ Inch Each cubed
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil For Searing
Sauce
- 1 Small Onion Diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 15 Oz Diced Tomatos
- 15 Oz Tomato Sauce canned
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes Optional
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt And Pepper To Taste
Sandwiches
- 4 Hoagie Rolls
- 8 Slices Provolone Or Mozzarella
- Butter Or Garlic Butter For Toasting
- Parsley Or Parmesan For Garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, parmesan, egg, garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley panko and milk. Mix until combined.
- Form the mixture into 1.75–2 inch meatballs. Press a cube of mozzarella into the center of each and seal tightly.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meatballs on all sides until browned but not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté the diced onion and garlic until softened. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Spoon a little sauce over the tops.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 25–35 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the mozzarella is melted inside.
- Toast the hoagie rolls with butter or garlic butter. Add a spoonful of sauce, place 2–3 meatballs into each roll, and top with more sauce and provolone.
- Broil for 1–2 minutes until the cheese melts. Garnish with parsley or parmesan before serving.
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