This Meatball Sub Sandwich is quick and easy to make. So comforting with delicious sauce, premade frozen meatballs, and cheese on a roll. Make in a slow cooker for a completely no-fuss meal.

Try pairing these simple slow cooker meatball submarine sandwiches made with frozen meatballs with a side dish of Baked Zucchini Fries or make some Oven Roasted Broccoli instead for a filling and complete meal.

sheet pan with four meatball subs topped with cheese and parsley

Have you ever just had one of those days when you wake up and immediately know your day will be super busy. You know very early on that you won't have time for anything extra let alone making a complicated dinner for your family.

This is the exact moment that a slow cooker meal comes in handy. It allows you to add all of the ingredients into the slow cooker, place the lid on, turn it on, and wait for it to take care of things.

Dinner is ready in a few hours. Magic!

It is even better if the recipe requires few ingredients and is comforting and delicious like this meatball subs.

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Why Meatball Subs
Ingredient Notes
Instructions
Meatball Sub Toppings
Equipment
Storage
📖 Recipe
More Meatball Recipes

Why Meatball Subs

Just four simple ingredients.
Comforting and filling.
Made easy in the slow cooker!
Family friendly and something the whole family is sure to enjoy.

Ingredient Notes

glass bowl with frozen meatballs in it next to jar of pasta sauce

Frozen Meatballs - For this ingredient, use any frozen meatballs that you prefer. They can be beef, pork, or chicken. Just make sure they are frozen. I use Rosina Meatballs for this recipe.
Pasta sauce - Any sauce that you enjoy will work or if you would like to make your own try my recipe for Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce.
Hoagie Rolls - Use hoagie rolls, sub rolls, or buns that are hearty enough to hold the meatballs and sauce without completely falling apart.
Cheese - Feel free to use any cheese, sliced or shredded, that you prefer. Try to go with a mild cheese like provolone, swiss, mozzarella, or monterey jack.

Instructions

Begin the meatball sub sandwich recipe by placing the frozen meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour the jar of pasta sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir to cover the meatballs in the sauce.

instant pot insert with frozen meatballs and sauce in it.

Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 hour. Keep in mind slow cookers may vary, so check and adjust cook time if needed.

meatballs and sauce in a instant pot pressure cooker

Once the meatballs are finished, it's time to prepare the hoagie roll or bun. Use a knife to cut a hole out of the top of the bun and remove some of the breading from the center. You want to remove at least enough to make a nice well to add the meatballs.

sheet pan with hoagie buns on it with the top cut out.

Next, fill the bun with meatballs and sauce. Top the meatballs will cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!

meatball subs on sheet pan topped with shredded cheese and fresh parsley

Meatball Sub Toppings

Keep this recipe simple with just cheese, it is great with that alone. However, feel free to top with bell pepper slices, fresh greens like spinach or peppery arugula. Some freshly chopped herbs like Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, basil, or chives.

Equipment

The only equipment needed to make this recipe is a slow cooker or pressure cooker with a slow cooker setting. I am using an Instant Pot that I have had for a while. It has a slow cooker setting and takes the place of me needing to have a separate slow cooker.

Storage

Store any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the meatballs before serving. Store the hoagie rolls or buns at room temperature separate from the meatballs.

📖 Recipe

finished meatball subs on sheet pan next to small bowl of fresh parsley

Meatball Sub Sandwich (Slow Cooker)

LaKita Anderson

This Meatball Sub Sandwich is quick and easy to make. So comforting with delicious sauce, premade frozen meatballs, and cheese on a roll. Make in a slow cooker for a completely no-fuss meal.

5 from 14 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 350 kcal

Equipment

Slow cooker

Ingredients

26 ounces bag frozen meatballs
24 ounces jar (24 oz.) pasta sauce
hoagie rolls or buns
your favorite cheese

Instructions

Place the 26 ounce bag of frozen meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour the 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker and stir to cover the meatballs in the sauce.
Place the lid on top of the slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 hour. Keep in mind slow cookers may vary, so check and adjust cook time if needed.
Once the meatballs have finished, it’s time to prepare the hoagie roll or bun. Use a knife to cut a hole out of the top of the bun and remove some of the breading from the center. You want to remove enough to make a nice well to add the meatballs.
For a toasted bun, place the buns on a sheet pan under the broiler on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
Fill the buns with meatballs and sauce. Top the meatballs will cheese and place under the broiler again for 1 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Store any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving. Store hoagie rolls or buns at room temperature separate from the meatballs.

Notes

If you prefer not to use a slow cooker, then use a large pot instead and cook on medium-low for 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 22gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 663mgPotassium: 728mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 500IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg

*All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.

Keyword meatball sub sandwich

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Original post date 12/02/2013. Updated 09/29/2021.

meatball sandwich cut in half on sheet pan

More Meatball Recipes

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Meatball Sub Sandwich {Slow Cooker}

Why Meatball Subs

Ingredient Notes

Instructions

Meatball Sub Toppings

Equipment

Storage

📖 Recipe