Open Faced Meatball Sandwiches
These delicious Open Faced Meatball Sandwiches are the ultimate comfort food! This recipe is an easy dinner idea but it's also great for feeding a crowd on gameday.
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 342kcal
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- ⅓ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium white onion finely diced
- 8 oz. ground beef
- 8 oz. ground pork
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley
- 1 tsp garlic minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
For the Sandwiches
- 1 loaf soft Italian bread or French bread cut into ½” slices
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Using a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk; let soak for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a medium frying pan and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onions and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.
- Transfer onions and soaked bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining meatball ingredients (beef, pork, egg, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper and Parmesan cheese). Mix until just combined. (Tip: Take care not to overmix or the meatball may be tough.)
- Shape mixture into 12 balls and place meatballs 1” apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until meatballs are no longer pink in the center.
For the Sandwiches
- Place empty sheet pan in the 400°F for ~10 minutes. (Note: For easy clean-up, line pan with aluminum foil.)
- Meanwhile, lay sliced bread on a large cutting board. Spread mayonnaise evenly on top of slices.
- Using a small bowl, combine garlic powder, salt, onion powder, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the mayonnaise. Press the seasoning mixture lightly so that it sticks to the mayonnaise.
- Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and place the sliced bread mayonnaise-side down onto the pan. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and flip each slice of bread over.
- Place a spoonful of marinara sauce on each slice and then sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly on top.
- Slice meatballs in half and add 2-3 to each slice of bread.
- Return bread to the oven and continue baking 5-7 more minutes, or until cheese has completely melted.
- Garnish with chopped Italian parsley before serving.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 236mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 361IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg
