Italian Sausage Meatball Subs
Serves 8
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup fresh bread
crumbs
¼ cup chopped sweet onion
2
tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
1/3
cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried
basil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, coarsely
chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black
pepper
½ pound bulk sausage
1 pound
Italian sausage, casing removed
2 14 ½-ounce cans diced tomatoes with
Italian herbs
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
with Italian herbs
1 cup finely chopped
onions
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 6
to 7-ounce can mushroom chunks (portabella
preferred), with liquid
1 teaspoon
sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8
teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 (8-inch) crusty sub rolls, split
1 cup
shredded Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- To prepare sausage meatballs, beat eggs well and stir in crumbs, vegetables, cheese, basil, nuts, salt and pepper. Combine well. Add sausage and mix thoroughly.
- With wet hands, shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs (makes 40 meatballs).
- Place meatballs on a wire rack in a baking sheet with 1-inch sides. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, in a slow cooker, mix together tomatoes, paste, onions, garlic, mushrooms, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir together well and cook on HIGH.
- Transfer cooked and drained meatballs to the slow cooker and mix thoroughly, coating meatballs with tomato sauce.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours OR on LOW for 8 to 10 hours, stirring occasionally. If desired, remove lid during last 30 minutes to reduce liquid.
- Portion 5 sausage meatballs into each sub roll and spoon tomato sauce atop meatballs. Sprinkle each with cheese.