Close-up of Rustic Meatball Subs and Fried Red Onions, as seen on The Pioneer Woman, Season 36
Recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond

Rustic Meatball Subs

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 40 min
  • Active: 30 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
This is Ree’s go-to recipe for feeding Ladd and the cowboys their lunch when they have a busy day working on the ranch. The subs can be eaten straight away or wrapped for a portable grab-and-go meal.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Cut about 2 inches off the end of one loaf of French bread and tear into small pieces, totaling approximately 1 cup. Place in a bowl.
  2. Pour over the milk and let soak, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef, sausage, Parmesan, salt, pepper, garlic, egg and 2 tablespoons parsley, then combine.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium-high heat. Tear the mixture into 16 to 20 golf ball-sized pieces and add to the hot oil. Fry until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add the marinara and 2 more tablespoons parsley, then cover and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering until the meatballs are cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes more. Remove the lid and top with the mozzarella slices. Replace the lid to melt the cheese, 30 to 45 seconds.
  5. Meanwhile, cut the remaining bread into 4 roughly equal portions and halve each lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through.
  6. Fold the subs open and scoop 4 to 5 cheese-covered meatballs out of the skillet, directly onto each. Sprinkle over a little parsley. Serve open-faced, and enjoy.