Mini Meatball Heroes

Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode:

More Sandwiches

Rated 5 stars out of 5
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Read 120 Reviews
Total Time:
55 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Yield:
12 sandwiches
Level:
Easy
x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please limit to 20 characters

Saving Recipe

Adding Recipe

Or Do Not Add

Success

This recipe was saved to your Folder_Name folder.

x

Save To My Recipe Box

Please sign in to save this recipe to your Recipe Box!!

25 Characters Max

Enter Time:

:
:

You can create up to five timers

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 small onion, grated
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/4 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
  • 6 ounces ground beef
  • 6ounces ground veal
  • 6 ounces ground pork
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Marinara sauce, recipe follows or 26-ounce jar, store-purchased

Sandwiches:

  • 12 (3 to 3 1/2-inch diameter) Italian rolls, split, warm
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 3 ounces sliced provolone

Directions

To make the meatballs: Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, veal, and pork. Using about 2 tablespoons of meat for each, shape the meat mixture into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in 2 to 3 batches, add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Pour off any excess oil. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Add the marinara sauce. Simmer over medium-low until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. (The meatball mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)

To make the sandwiches: Spoon the hot meatballs with some sauce over the bottoms of the rolls. Place 1/2 slice provolone on top of meatballs and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Spread more sauce over the roll tops, then fold the tops of the rolls over and serve.

Cook's Note: The sandwiches can be assembled then wrapped individually in foil. Rewarm the sandwiches in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

Marinara Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 small onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 2 dried bay leaves

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Yield: 2 quarts

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Print Recipe

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Food Network to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be signed in to review this recipe.

Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 120 reviews

  • on November 18, 2011

    Flag

    Super delicious! I make these up ahead of time as well and freeze them, uncooked. I just pull out the desired amount, defrost them and add to soups or cook them in a pan with a little oil. Excellent recipe :-

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on November 14, 2011

    Flag

    I made these for a teen party at my house. I used all three meats the first time but actually like it better with just beef and pork. I needed to feed a lot of kids at one time so I used Costco small rolls and made it so one meatball filled the bun. I added a little sauce.( I used Trader Joe's marinara. , a quarter slice of mozzarella, put the top roll on and wrapped them individually in foil. I kept them in the over at 275 degrees until I served them. The foil also made them easier to grab and eat with no mess. They were fun to make and to eat. The teens loved them.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
  • on September 28, 2011

    Flag

    THE MEATBALL ARE SOO DELICIOUS!!!! I COULDN'T FIND THE VEAL SO I USED BEEF (85% AND PORK ONLY. MY HUSBAND AND TWO BOYS ATE IT ALL UP! THE MEATBALLS ARE SO WELL SEASONED. THE MARINARA ISN'T THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD. SO I AM GOING TO TRY AND SEASON IT A BIT MORE WITH SPICES NEXT TIME. I WILL DEFINITELY BE DOUBLING THE RECIPE SO WE CAN HAVE LEFTOVERS. IT TOOK ME AN HOUR TO PREP EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE MARINARA. MUST TRY THIS! THANKS AGAIN GIADA!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
Advertisement

Free Recipe of the Day Newsletter

Let Food Network chefs plan what's for dinner, with quick and easy recipes delivered to your inbox daily.

Ads by Google