This oven baked meatball sandwich recipe is a perfect easy dinner idea for busy days. Also great for large groups, game day, or as an on-the-go meal. It’s one of our most popular posts – pinned over 1 million times!
The ingredients are simple — you will need meatballs, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sandwich rolls.
Many times I like to make my popular Baked Turkey Meatballs with Spinach for our Meatball Sandwiches, but I also make them with frozen, pre-made meatballs from the freezer section of my grocery store. I do that A LOT. So, if you want easy, go with the frozen ones. If you have more time, go for homemade meatballs.
Here’s how to make this easy dinner idea:
Get your rolls ready. You want rolls that aren’t cut all the way through, they should be connected one side so that they will cradle the ingredients. I usually buy rolls that are already cut like this, or rolls that aren’t cut at all and I cut them myself.
Place your meatballs in a big pot and cover them with your pasta sauce.
If you are using frozen meatballs, place them frozen into the pot — no need to cook them in advance. If you are using homemade ones, put them into the pot after cooking them.
Cover your meatballs with sauce (enough that all the meatballs are covered). You can use homemade pasta sauce or jarred sauce. Gently fold the meatballs with the sauce, this isn’t the time for vigorous stirring or you’ll destroy the meatballs. Heat them on low-medium, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated thoroughly.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Take each roll and fill with as many meatballs as you can fit. I usually do this with a slotted spoon and I avoid scooping the sauce as much as possible. I can generally get 4-5 meatballs into one sandwich roll, but this will vary depending on the size of roll you use.
Top the meatballs with a bit of pasta sauce from your pot. Place your meatball sandwiches, as you fill them, directly on the baking sheet.
Now, top each sandwich with shredded mozzarella cheese. My favorite part…CHEESE.
Bake in an oven at 400 degrees until cheese is melted, hot, and bubbly! Serve with a salad or chips for a super easy meal.
Want another easy, cheesy sandwich recipe? Check out our Buffalo Chicken Panini Recipe!
Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches Tips
If you are serving these during a party, game night, or if these are being packed for meals away from home, it might be helpful to wrap each sandwich individually. I liked to do this with foil, before baking. Here’s how:
- Tear off one piece of foil for each sandwich (big enough to wrap the sandwich)
- With one piece of foil, spray the top of the foil with cooking spray.
- Place a sandwich roll in the middle and on top of the cooking sprayed side of the foil.
- Fill with meatballs and pasta sauce. Top with cheese.
- Fold one large corner of the foil completely over the top of the sandwich. Fold the left and the right sides of the foil over the sandwich. Roll the sandwich towards the top part of the foil so the entire sandwich is secured in the foil.
- Bake in a 400 degree F oven for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted.
Easy Dinner Idea:
Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches Recipe
Oven Baked Meatball Sandwiches
This oven baked meatball sandwich recipe is a perfect easy dinner idea for busy days. Also great for large groups, game day, or as an on-the-go meal. A popular recipe that has been pinned over 1 million times!
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- Sandwich rolls (cut with one side intact)
- Cooked Meatballs (your favorite recipe or frozen, pre-made meatballs)
- Pasta Sauce (homemade or jarred)
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place your frozen cooked meatballs or homemade cooked meatballs in a large pot. Cover with your pasta sauce. Gently fold the meatballs with the sauce, Heat the meatballs and sauce on low-medium, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated thoroughly.
- Fill a roll with as many meatballs as you can fit (usually 4-5 meatballs, depends on size of meatballs and the size of the roll). Top with more pasta sauce from your pot. Place filled sandwich rolls closely on baking sheet. Top each sandwich with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake until cheese is melted, hot, and bubbly.
Keywords: 4 ingredients, meatball sandwiches for a crowd, meatball sandwich recipe in oven, easy meatball subs, frozen meatballs,
Maggie Unzueta says
March 7, 2019 at 1:58 pmThis sandwich looks so deliciously good. I wish I could eat that right this minute!
Marcelyn Oliver says
February 3, 2019 at 1:22 pmOMG! This was good! So fast and easy. Very filling too. Will definitely make again. I used frozen beef meatballs but microwaved them for a few minutes first. Then I put them in a jarred pasta sauce and cooked on medium until heated through. Great value with roasted garlic and onion. Spooned over subway rolls and topped with lots of mozzarella cheese and voila dinner is done in a flash! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Tracy says
August 7, 2017 at 5:56 pmMade these tonight super easy meal family enjoyed will definitely make again lined baking dish with foil so easy clean up as well
Lita Watson says
June 20, 2017 at 12:58 amSo quick your dish is! Is there any substitute of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for this recipe ? These sandwiches will taste good if it’s preserve for 2 days, won’t it?
David Morton says
January 27, 2017 at 12:30 pmSo tried this for a group of 30 people – various ages (K-10 as well as teachers and some parent volunteers) as it was for a play rehearsal that was going late. Never sure what amount is good for each person in that situation – Used Parisian baguettes for the buns – cooked as per instruction (had to half them to fit all of them in the oven), baked them in foil but lined that with parchment paper – then completely wrapped them for delivery (no oven on site). Then, to serve just unwrapped and cut to size of sandwich the person wanted – so easy!!! veggie trays and chips as sides.
★★★★★
Audra Gaines says
January 10, 2017 at 3:39 amI used provolone and Gouda cheese. Yummy!!
★★★★★
Helen says
June 2, 2016 at 8:07 amMy husband will love these!! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner party!
Gina Gentry says
October 18, 2015 at 10:48 amI’m definitely going to try this! Does anyone have a good (beef) meatball recipe?
★★★★★
Bo Jackman says
September 3, 2015 at 4:28 pmIf you plan on making this recipe, make sure you cook the meatballs first. I followed the directions and the meatballs came out still raw.
★★★
brandie says
September 4, 2015 at 8:16 amYes, this recipe is for cooked meatballs, which is how it’s stated in the recipe.
Samantha says
November 26, 2018 at 10:49 amSometimes it REALLY pays to READ the directions!!!
Joy says
July 31, 2015 at 6:16 pmI love this! Super easy and looks amazing. I think we will give it a try tonight :):) thanks!
Mimi SoFlY says
October 7, 2014 at 4:13 pmIn The Process Of Making These Right Now..But I Made My Own Meatballs..I Know They Are Going To Come Out Great :).
Bonnie says
April 7, 2014 at 8:15 amI think I will cook my meatballs then can in thick pasta sause so I can just open
the jar and heat. This sounds awesome. I might even cook the meatballs on the Treager
bbq and see how that turns out first.
Angus says
March 19, 2014 at 2:51 pmWe’re trying this tonight, thinking ahead to summer though, has anyone ever tried using a bbq instead of the oven?
brandie says
March 19, 2014 at 3:03 pmHi Angus! I’ve never made them on the grill, but that’s a great idea.
Candace says
March 16, 2014 at 6:42 pmMade these tonight were great, my husband ate like 4!! He loved them!! Big hit and super easy! Love it!!
brandie says
March 19, 2014 at 3:00 pmThanks Candace! Glad you like them.
Amy @ {Life to the Full} says
January 30, 2014 at 3:44 pmThis is a perfect supper idea to add to meal planning! Thanks for sharing!
Margo, Thrift at Home says
December 30, 2013 at 12:45 pmlooks so good! I have some leftover homemade cocktail meatballs in the freezer and this is my new plan for them.
krissy says
August 16, 2013 at 6:58 pmLoved them!! They are so easy to make. My family loved them. Thanks for sharing.
krissy says
August 16, 2013 at 6:57 pmOMG. I made these tonight for my family. It was a hit. Everyone loved them. They are so easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
Susan says
July 13, 2013 at 6:50 pmI have a bunch of family coming next week. This would be a great idea for lunch. Thanks for sharing at Inspire Us Thursday.
Miz Helen says
July 13, 2013 at 4:15 pmWhat a great recipe for a crowd, we will sure be trying this one! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great summer weekend and come back to see me real soon!
Miz Helen
Elsa says
July 9, 2013 at 4:19 pmGah!! This looks delicious!! I am going to give this a shot.
Stacy says
April 10, 2013 at 8:19 amI am going to use four cheese for this. My family doesn’t care for Mozz. Cheese so we always substitute other cheeses for it.
Leann says
March 26, 2013 at 1:00 pmThese were absolutely delicious! I managed to severely burn the bottoms of my meatballs, so next time I’m going to lower the temperature and increase the bake time. Either way, I cut off the burnt part and my hubby and I love this recipe!
brandie says
March 29, 2013 at 4:39 pmThank you, Leann! I’m so glad you liked them!
billy says
February 28, 2013 at 8:06 amThis was great. Made this for my wife and she loved it.
April @ The 21st Century Housewife says
February 8, 2013 at 8:01 amYour meatball sandwiches sound wonderful. I love the meatball recipe you used with turkey and spinach. That would give such a nice flavour. Thank you for sharing this recipe with The Gallery of Favorites.
Alea says
February 7, 2013 at 11:47 pmYour meatball sandwiches are going to be a huge hit with my family! I’ve pinned this recipe to my dinner board and will be adding it to my menu soon.
Michelle says
February 1, 2013 at 5:42 pmVisiting from Gallery of Favorites.
This is a great way to prepare meatball sandwiches for a crowd. That browned cheesy topping is my favorite part too.
Your Golden Ticket Blog says
February 1, 2013 at 4:44 pmLooks so good! Way better than the subway meatball sandwiches I usually get. 😉
Jenn says
January 24, 2013 at 7:10 pmThese look delicious! My husband will love them, I can tell already!
Were you able to freeze with success? I’m one to make lots and then freeze for quick dinners.
brandie says
February 1, 2013 at 2:47 amHi Jenn,
I still haven’t tried freezing them, but am planning on making them again soon and still have plans on testing them as a freezer meal. When I make them, we always have extras, but my husband and kids usually end up eating them for lunch the couple days after.
Laura says
September 9, 2013 at 2:16 pmI think this should be easy enough to do with just making the meatballs (or purchasing them) and putting together right before serving. I don’t see much reason to freeze the whole thing beforehand. The sandwich (I would think) will taste better and fresher with fresh bread. Just my opinion!
Andrew says
January 14, 2013 at 3:08 pmDoes the bread get hard when you bake it in the oven or does it stay soft? Thanks in advance!
brandie says
January 14, 2013 at 7:37 pmThey are still somewhat soft after baking, not hard. The bottom (part sitting on the baking sheet) can get a bit crispy, depending on how long you leave them in the oven. Overall, they do stay softer if you wrap in foil before baking.
Ali says
January 9, 2013 at 9:41 pmWow those look delicious! Spotted this over at Skip to My Lou. Thanks for the recipe, pinning this one. 🙂
Tricia Jocelyn says
January 6, 2013 at 4:22 pmTrying these tonight They look so yummy! Thanks for sharing!..:)
christi harrison says
January 6, 2013 at 4:15 pmI made the turkey meatballs tonight and they were soooo good! We were skeptical because we have tried using turkey for burgers and tacos and never liked the way it tasted. These were DELICIOUS! I would definitly recommend the turkey meatball recipe. We froze them and plan on making the meatball sandwiches this week. My 2 year old picky eater even ate them! Thanks so much!
monica says
November 19, 2012 at 7:33 pmMade these tonight and they were WONDERFUL! I followed the entire recipe, making the meatballs instead of buying the frozen ones and they were delicious! Plus, they were decently healthy with the turkey and spinach 🙂 My husband said it was one of the best things i’ve made in a while and there were so many meatballs left over, I threw them in the freezer for a quick lunch or dinner next week!! Thanks!
brandie says
November 21, 2012 at 12:21 amMonica, thank you so much for taking the time to tell me how much you enjoy my meatball sandwich idea! And I think it’s always great when you can do the work one time, but get multiple meals. 🙂
lisa~ says
November 17, 2012 at 2:41 pmThese look yummy ans easy! I would like to make them for a ladies lunch. What would you suggest serving with them? Thanks.
brandie says
November 17, 2012 at 10:44 pmThanks Lisa! We usually pair our meatball sandwiches with a salad and/or fresh fruit. Sometimes with potato chips. The meatball sandwiches are fairly hearty, so I prefer lighter with side items.
Heather says
September 23, 2012 at 1:03 pmTried these as my soon will eat nothing but pizza type things, the bottoms were so mushy? Where did I go wrong?
brandie says
September 23, 2012 at 1:44 pmHi Heather! I’m not exactly sure about what could have went wrong, this isn’t a problem I’ve experienced. Some thoughts are that maybe the rolls weren’t thick enough and/or the sauce was thin, or maybe too much sauce? It’s hard to say. I use a fairly thick sandwich roll, my sauce is usually a thicker consistency, and when I scoop the meatballs, I make sure to not scoop much extra sauce with them…but top them with extra sauce.
Carri says
April 21, 2014 at 3:25 pmI make these often but with homemade meatballs. To slow down the soggy factor place rolls under the broiler to toast a bit. Then lay slices of provolone and broil again til melty. The cheese protects the bread!! 🙂
Heather says
November 25, 2012 at 7:17 amIf you bake the open rolls for a few minutes before you place in your ingredients, it will help.
Nicole says
September 12, 2012 at 7:37 pmHow long would u say it takes to cook the meatballs?
brandie says
September 13, 2012 at 12:26 pmHi Nicole!
I’ve never actually timed it, but I would say that it takes about 15 minutes to heat frozen meatballs in pasta sauce. This would depend though on how many meatballs are you are heating and how large they are. Hope that helps!
Griffin says
September 11, 2012 at 5:02 amThose look absolutely amazing!! I think I know what we are having this weekend while watching football. Thanks for sharing.
RecipeNewZ says
August 31, 2012 at 8:31 amAmazing idea and delicious sandwiches!! They were an instant hit on RecipeNewZ and as such are now featured on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/RecipeNewZ. Congrats!
Melissa Haggerty says
August 27, 2012 at 1:02 pmThese are so amazing! Very fast and easy to make, and my kids love them!
LaShuna Vincent says
August 25, 2012 at 10:40 amOh wow that looks delicious!! We are from Louisiana and have always eaten Meatball subs but your look great!! Will try tonight!!
brandie says
August 26, 2012 at 9:50 amThanks so much, LaShuna!
Stacy says
August 15, 2012 at 6:14 pmDo u think I could freeze these?
brandie says
August 15, 2012 at 10:13 pmHi Stacy, I haven’t ever froze these, but I am thinking that they might not do that well being frozen, that the bread might not hold up that well. I’m just not sure. It’s a great question — you’ve got me wondering so I think the next time I will make them, I will try it out and see how it goes.
clint says
February 23, 2015 at 12:08 pmif you freeze them i would make extra meatballs and freeze after cook and cooled down or put them in sauce not on sub rolls .
sherry says
May 3, 2015 at 7:24 pmi’m sure you can freeze the meatballs in the red sauce. It wouldnt take that long to defrost, put on the bun, add some cheese, and pop in the oven.
meshay says
April 18, 2018 at 6:29 pmthis was so easy
Sarah from NZ says
August 8, 2012 at 5:35 pmYUM – sadly our Mozzarella is pathetic here.. will have to attempt to make my own.
Thank you
Kate says
August 8, 2012 at 3:27 pmyummy yummy!
Abigail Peterson says
July 22, 2012 at 1:53 pmMmmm, these look AMAZING! When are you going to cook for the Vegas Bloggers?! 😉
brandie says
July 22, 2012 at 9:42 pmLOL…thanks Abbie! That would be fun to cook for Vegas Bloggers. Maybe someday we’ll have a potluck?