Blackstone Meatball Subs

Classic pizza-shop flavor in sandwich form, with juicy griddled meatballs, warm sauce, toasted hoagie rolls, pesto, and a generous finish of bold Murray’s cheese.

These Blackstone meatball subs bring all the cozy, saucy, cheesy flavors of a neighborhood pizza shop right to the griddle. The meatballs are cooked until browned and juicy, simmered in warm spaghetti sauce with a little truffle oil, then tucked into buttery toasted hoagie rolls with pesto. The real flavor-maker here is Sartori Brick Oven BellaVitano from Murray’s Cheese. I love this cheese because it has that pizza-inspired flavor built right in—think olive oil, tomato, garlic, oregano, onion, parsley, and a little red pepper. It is such a fun finishing cheese for these subs, but mozzarella is a great option too if that is what you have or prefer.

You can check out and purchase the cheese here – https://www.murrayscheese.com/dp/sartori-brick-oven-bellavitano

Blackstone – https://blackstoneproducts.com/?rstr=35197

Recipe Details

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 meatball subs

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 2 handfuls Italian-style breadcrumbs or panko
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Additional Ingredients

• 4 hoagie rolls
• Pesto, for spreading
• Spaghetti sauce
• Truffle oil, for drizzling into the sauce
• Butter, for toasting the rolls
• Sartori Brick Oven BellaVitano cheese, or mozzarella if you prefer

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until just combined.
2. Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs.
3. Heat the Blackstone griddle to medium. Add the meatballs and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides and cooked through.
4. Place a cast iron skillet on the griddle. Add the spaghetti sauce and warm it through, then drizzle in a little truffle oil.
5. Add the cooked meatballs to the skillet and simmer them in the sauce for a few minutes so they soak up all that flavor.
6. Butter the hoagie rolls and toast them on the Blackstone until golden brown.
7. Spread pesto on the toasted rolls.
8. Fill each roll with saucy meatballs.
9. Finish with a generous sprinkle of Sartori Brick Oven BellaVitano cheese. The heat from the meatballs will soften the cheese and bring out those pizza-inspired flavors. Serve immediately.

Recipe Tips

• Do not overmix the meatballs: Mix just until the ingredients come together so the meatballs stay tender.
• Use the cheese you love: Brick Oven BellaVitano from Murray’s Cheese adds bold pizza-shop flavor, but mozzarella is classic, melty, and delicious too.
• Toast the rolls well: A golden, buttery roll holds up better under the sauce and meatballs.
• Simmer before serving: Letting the cooked meatballs sit in the warm sauce for a few minutes makes every bite extra flavorful.

Serving Ideas

Serve these meatball subs hot off the griddle with extra sauce for dipping, kettle chips, a simple salad, or roasted vegetables. They are perfect for game day, an easy weeknight dinner, or anytime you want pizza-shop comfort food in sandwich form.