Mini Meatball Heroes

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode:

More Sandwiches

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (134)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
12 sandwiches

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 55 min

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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

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
Lisa Moberly, MO 01-04-2010
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WINNER WINNER! MEATBALL DINNER!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe was bank ! After reading lots of recipes and reviews, this one was most appealing for what I had on hand for a... delicious, comforting, cozy supper on a frigid Sunday in January . I did alter it a little, using 3 pounds of lean ground beef, using no veal or pork, and then tripled up on all other ingredients, so that we would have leftovers. I also baked them at 350 until brown, then popped them into a hot pot containing 2 jars of Ragu 7 herbs & spices. A great deal of the grated parmeasan cooked out of them, so I added about 1/3 C to the Ragu. I served it with spaghetti since I didn't have the rolls on hand. Rave reviews from my sons and husband. Next time I will make Giada's sauce and serve them on rolls. Read more
recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
Kristy Omaha, NE 07-31-2009
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Great!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Nice, filling meal. I also found that the metballs freeze and reheat well a month later!
recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
Stephanie Newport Beach, CA 05-13-2009
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Great and easy make ahead dish!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The meatballs turned out so moist with an amazing flavor. I the marinara from scratch as well and pureed it which also... turned out perfect. I served it for an afternoon lunch with family and friends and it was a hit! NO leftovers and I was bummed!Read more
recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
Sheila Sleepy Hollow , IL 01-30-2009
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Make it meatball sliders!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

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.Read more
recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
anna torrance, CA 01-04-2009
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So Yummy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I just made this recipe and it tastes so good. As always, Giada never disappoints me. Thanks Giada. I tried the wedding... soup too. It was good too. Read more
recipe Mini Meatball Heroes
Brian Mesa, AZ 12-27-2008
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The best!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Been cooking Giada's turkey meatballs for a while now with great success and lots of compliments but this time thought I... venture to the meat/pork meatballs. The flavor is even better! I only used chuck and pork and my family luuuuvved them. I think GDL has the best and easiest Italian recipes among all the FoodTV network chefs. Read more