Description

This Meatball Monster Sandwich recipe is a fun and spooky twist on the classic meatball sub, perfect for Halloween parties or exciting family dinners. Juicy baked meatballs simmered in marinara sauce are nestled inside toasted sandwich rolls, topped with melted cheese fashioned into fang-like shapes, and decorated creatively with olives and sliced peppers to resemble monster faces. Easy to prepare and delicious to eat, these sandwiches make mealtime both playful and satisfying.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Sauce & Assembly

2 cups marinara sauce
4 sandwich rolls or hoagie buns
4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese
Sliced olives for eyes
Thinly sliced red bell pepper or pickle strips for mouths
Olive oil for brushing (optional)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) to get it ready for baking the meatballs.
Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined, careful not to overwork the meat to keep meatballs tender.
Form Meatballs: Roll the mixture into 12 equal-sized meatballs, ensuring they are uniform for even cooking. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a lightly greased sheet.
Bake Meatballs: Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes until they are cooked through and nicely browned.
Warm Sauce and Simmer: While meatballs bake, heat marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Once meatballs are done, add them to the sauce and simmer gently for 5 minutes to marry flavors.
Prepare Rolls: Slice the sandwich rolls lengthwise and toast them lightly if desired for added crunch and warmth.
Assemble Sandwiches: Place 3 meatballs into each roll with some marinara sauce. Lay a slice of cheese over the meatballs, trimming the edges as needed to create fang or teeth shapes.
Decorate Monster Faces: Use sliced olives secured with toothpicks on top of the rolls for eyes. Add thin red bell pepper slices or pickle strips as mouths to complete the monster look.
Serve: Serve the sandwiches immediately while warm and gooey for the best taste and texture.

Notes

Feel free to customize toppings with candy eyes, pimento-stuffed olives, or cut-out cheese shapes to make the sandwiches more festive and spooky.
These sandwiches are great for Halloween parties but also work well as fun, kid-friendly family dinners any time of the year.
To keep the sandwich rolls soft, you can wrap them in foil and warm in the oven for a few minutes before assembling.
Use low-sodium marinara sauce if you want to reduce the sodium content.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking, Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 sandwich
Calories: 520
Sugar: 7g
Sodium: 880mg
Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Unsaturated Fat: 13g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 33g
Cholesterol: 110mg