Meatball Parm Hero

The meatball parm hero is classic comfort food at its best. With tender, succulent meatballs and gooey cheese stuffed between toasted bread, what’s not to love?

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If there’s one thing better than meatballs with “Sunday sauce,” it’s a meatball parm hero. I could probably eat one of these every week—along with this peppers and eggs sandwich. I mean, what’s not to love about tender meatballs smothered in melted cheese and served on crispy bread? And when the bread starts to fall apart a little from the sauce as you eat it, everything tastes even better.

The best part about a meatball parm hero is that it’s usually made from leftover meatballs, making this one of the easiest dinners for busy days. Of course, you can make meatballs for the sole purpose of creating a meatball parm hero, and you won’t hear anything about it from me.

There’s really no wrong way to make one of these sandwiches. You can add more cheese than the recipe calls for (I often do), you can use any Italian cheese you have available (provolone, fontina, and Asiago are all good), and you can use any bread you want (the sturdier, the better).

The only thing I would caution against is adding too much marinara sauce to the bread before baking. It can soak through and make the bread soggy before you even bite into it. You can always dollop some more on top of the heroes after they’re out of the oven.

Let’s mangia!

Why You’ll Love This Meatball Parm Hero

• It’s a great way to use leftovers: In this case, it’s meatballs! Instead of reheating them alongside some spaghetti, stuff them into some hearty bread instead.
• It’s cheaper than takeout: Assembling your own meatball parm hero costs less than ordering takeout.
• Cleanup is minimal: You don’t need much more than a sheet pan for this recipe.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Italian Bread: Ideally, 2 8″ loaves. Use a hearty bread that can hold up to the meatballs.
• Meatballs: Of course, you can’t have a meatball parm here without the meatballs.
• Marinara Sauce: This can come from the marinara sauce you used to cook the meatballs.
• Part-Skim or Fresh Mozzarella Cheese: You can also use provolone for a sharper flavor.
• Pecorino Romano Cheese: Parmesan also works.
• Fresh Basil: Optional, but nice to have for brightness and fresh flavor.

See the recipe card below for more information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make This Meatball Parm Hero

1. Prepare the heroes: Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the two 8″ loaves of Italian bread on a sheet pan. Slice each one down the middle and place 4 meatballs down the center of each. Top each one with marinara, mozzarella, and Pecorino.
2. Bake in the oven: Place the heroes on a sheet pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese melts and the bread crisps up. Place under the broiler if you want to brown the cheese a bit.

Pro Tips

Use homemade meatballs: Homemade ones taste better than those in the supermarket. The best alternative to non-homemade would be to purchase ready-made meatballs from an authentic Italian market if you have the luxury of living near one!

Cut the meatballs into smaller pieces: Leaving the meatballs whole looks great for photos, but feel free to cut them into smaller pieces if you find it easier to eat them that way. I often do!

Broil the heroes as the final step: After baking them until the cheese melts and the bread turns crispy, pop them under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown the cheese and bread. Just watch them carefully!

Suggestions for Variations and Substitutions

• Replace the mozzarella with provolone, fontina, Asiago, or a mix of Italian cheeses.
• Use any hearty bread like ciabatta, French, Italian, etc.
• Garnish with fresh herbs for more flavor. I recommend basil, but parsley is also good.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Refrigerator

Store any remaining meatballs (without the bread) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If these meatball heroes were prepared using meatballs that were already leftover and not frozen immediately, then consume them as soon as possible.

Wrap any leftover meatball heroes in aluminum foil or an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. The bread will turn soggy as it sits, but you can reheat the heroes on an aluminum pan in the oven to help crisp them up.

Freezer

If the meatballs are freshly made, freeze any remaining ones in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. I don’t recommend freezing fully prepared meatball heroes.

Reheat

Reheat the meatballs in the oven up to 350F maximum or on the stovetop on low heat. You can also microwave them. Reheat meatball heroes on an aluminum pan in the oven, uncovered, from 350F to 450F until fully warmed through.

More Sandwich Recipes

• White pizza panini
• Roasted eggplant sandwich
• Eggs and mozzarella

If you love this recipe, please take a moment to review it below. You could also tag me on Instagram (@forcarbssake) with a picture of your finished dish!

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