Loaded meatball subs, with an umami-rich mushroom sauce, and a side of fresh roasted veg.
Early in our relationship, my husband and I bonded heavily over our shared love for the sitcom 30 Rock. During the series finale—which aired exactly 10 years ago—the character Lutz (one of the writers for TGS, the fictional show-within-the-show) adamantly chooses Blimpies for the writers final catered lunch, much to everyones chagrin. So, to honor Lutz’s wishes, and celebrate the 10 year anniversary of that finale, my husband and I decided to make our own version of Blimpies.
Our take on a sub sandwich also includes a variation on something else we bonded over early on: a shared love for Costco frozen meatballs and Normandy mix vegetables. And while you could use Costco’s finest for a quicker version of these subs, I’ve included instructions for making them from scratch. The handmade meatballs are plump and garlic-filled, and they roast with a mixture of seasoned fresh broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (we used our backyard-grown cheddar cauliflower). With those in the oven, you can cook down some mushrooms, then simmer with canned tomatoes for an umami-rich sauce. Assemble the meatballs and sauce into hoagies, and top with provolone cheese. A couple minutes in the oven makes the cheese nice and melty, then serve with the golden-brown veggies, and enjoy with your favorite sitcom.
Any hoagies will work, but I made these with sourdough brioche, and will be sharing that recipe soon. It would also be excellent with sourdough milk bread in hoagie form.
Never seen 30 Rock? Watch it already! You won’t be disappointed. See where you can stream it on TV guide.
Meatballs Subs with Mushroom Sauce & Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided, plus more for pan
- 1 small head broccoli cut into florets
- ½ head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced into ½-inch pieces
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric optional
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 8 oz ground beef 85% lean
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 8 cloves garlic minced, divided
- 4 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp rosemary or thyme minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 hoagie rolls
- 2 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. In a medium bowl mix together bread crumbs and milk and set aside.
- Meanwhile, lightly grease a large sheet pan with oil or nonstick spray and place broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots on sheet pan. Season with garlic powder, turmeric, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil. Spread out on one half of the sheet pan.
- To the breadcrumbs and milk, add ground beef, egg, oregano, half of the minced garlic, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and mix until combined. Form into 6 meatballs and place on sheet pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are 160° internal temperature.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining garlic cook briefly until fragrant. Add cremini mushrooms and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and starting to brown.
- Add tomatoes, rosemary or thyme, ½ tsp salt, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are starting to become smooth.
- When meatballs are done in the oven, add them to the tomato sauce and continue to simmer, as needed. Return vegetables to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
- Meanwhile, split hoagie rolls horizontally and hallow out some of the bread from the top bun. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Fill with meatballs and sauce, and top with provolone cheese. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve meatball subs with roasted vegetables.
