Thursday, February 19, 2009

Mushroom meatball subs

If I had to pick a favorite sandwich... meatball subs would definitely be up there on the list. I'm indecisive, though. Plus, it's almost embarrassing to have as a favorite considering how simple and common they are.

These meatballs were excellent! I'm always looking for something to add to meatballs in place of onions, since I'm usually cooking for a picky eater. This time, I added some mushrooms since I had some leftover from a previous dinner. They turned out surprisingly well!

Meatballs:
1 lb 85% ground beef
10 whole button mushrooms, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
1/4th cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh basil

And:
tomato sauce of your choice
loaf of crusty bread
cheeses of your choice (I used provolone, mozzarella, and parmigiano)

I mixed all of the ingredients and formed 1.5 inch meatballs and baked them at 375F for 20 minutes. I baked them on a broiler pan so some of the fat would drip off. After they came out of the oven, I simmered them in some canned marina sauce that I doctored up. 

Instead of buying sub rolls, I bought a large loaf of french bread and hollowed out the tops. This prevents the bread from splitting in half while trying to fill it with sauce and meatballs. (Which always seems to happen to me.)

I lined the bottom half of each bread with provolone along the bottoms and sides, spooned in the meatballs, then added shredded mozzarella and parmigiano. I put them back in the oven for 10 minutes at 350F and they came out perfectly.

Guten Appetit!