OK, now I don’t want to start any fights over whose meatballs subs are actually the best. You may say your Grandma’s are the best, or the ones at your favourite restaurant down the street are the best, and who am I to argue with that? All I mean when I say these are “The Best” meatball subs, is that they’re the best ones my family has tasted.
This isn’t the most healthy recipe, but you can add nutritious ingredients into the meatballs if you want. Meatballs are great that way — it’s easy to sneak healthy things into them. Sometimes I like adding some shredded carrots or zucchini, and a bit of ground flaxseed.
You may find making your own meatballs too much work, but these actually come together really quickly. I throw them into the hot pan as I form the balls because I find that speeds things up. If you’re not interested in getting your hands messy and would rather just buy meatballs for this meal, that’s a good option too, especially for busy weeknights when you don’t have a lot of time.
My boys are seriously obsessed with these meatball subs lately. They get excited every time I make them, and Cole has even declared them his new favourite food. Ayla isn’t that thrilled about them, but she isn’t interested in anything I make for dinner lately. She spends most of dinner time on the floor whining these days. I think she’s definitely entered the dreaded “threenager” stage.
My family's favourite meatball subs.
Ingredients
- 500g ground beef
- 1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp. hamburger seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp. ketchup
- 2 tbsp. red wine
- 350g pasta sauce
- Sub or Hot Dog buns
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together beef, bread crumbs, egg, seasoning, salt and ketchup.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking oil.
- Shape meat into balls and place in the hot pan.
- Brown the meatballs on all sides (about 10 minutes)
- Take out the meatballs with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate covered with paper towel.
- Drain the fat from the pan, then return the pan to the stove.
- Add wine to the pan, and stir as you scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Return meatballs to the pan and pour in the pasta sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve meatballs in buns, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Epicure hamburger seasoning mix works really well in this recipe.. Healthy add-ins for meatballs: shredded carrot, shredded zucchini, ground flax

My son loves meatball so much. I will try your recipe and hope he love it. Thank you so much for sharing this !