Cheeseburger-Style Meatball Sub Recipe

Both saucy meatball subs and stacked, juicy cheeseburgers start with ground beef and a bun, but the two are otherwise vastly different sandwiches. Smothered in rich tomato sauce and filled with tender meatballs, meatball subs are messy and hearty, their savory flavors melding together between the halves of toasted hoagie buns. Cheeseburgers are equally satisfying, but rely on melty cheese, tangy pickles, crunchy lettuce, and flavorful burger sauce, all of which combine for a rich and beefy sandwich balanced by contrasting flavors and textures.

By combining the warm, toasted hoagie and tender beef meatballs of a meatball sub with the crunchy toppings and tangy sauce of a classic cheeseburger, you get a sandwich that's both familiar and totally unique. Much like New York's chopped cheese sandwiches that envelop the flavors of hamburger between the sturdy layers of hoagie roll, this cheeseburger-style meatball sub offers everything you love about a juicy burger in a fun and toasty handheld package. What makes it particularly craveable is the burger sauce, which combines chopped pickles, creamy mayo, and smoked paprika for a smoky and tangy sauce that pools in between the pockets of meatballs and cheese. Every bite has all the flavor of a cheeseburger in the form of an overstuffed meatball sub, making it a perfect combination of two classic, hearty sandwiches.

To make the meatballs, you'll need ground beef, breadcrumbs, an egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, as well as oil for cooking. For the burger sauce, you'll need mayonnaise, ketchup, yellow mustard, dill pickles (which you can add on top of the sandwiches, too), the pickle brine, and smoked paprika. From there, you just need butter, sesame seeds, American cheese, crunchy shredded lettuce, tomato, and onion. The most important ingredient is the one that ties the sandwich together, and that's the bread. The best bread to use for delicious meatball subs include French bread, brioche, or my favorite — hoagie rolls.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined.

Form into 16-18 meatballs, approximately 1 ½ inches in diameter, or the size of a golf ball.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the meatballs and sear for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking for another 5–7 minutes, or until the centers reach 160 F.

While the meatballs cook, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, chopped pickles, pickle brine, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Split the hoagie rolls lengthwise, leaving one side attached. Brush the cut sides and exteriors lightly with melted butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Toast for 3–4 minutes, until lightly golden.

Tear the cheese slices in half and layer one slice into each bun. Arrange four meatballs inside each toasted roll, then cover with the remaining slices of cheese.

Return the rolls to the oven and bake until the cheese melts, about 2-3 minutes.

Spoon or drizzle burger sauce over the melted cheese. Add shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, onions, and pickle chips.

Serve immediately.

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The meatballs in this recipe are seared on the stove because the direct heat from the pan offers a flavor similar to that of burgers that have been seared on a griddle or grill. The browning that occurs while the meatballs are searing is referred to as the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction that involves proteins and sugar reacting to heat to change the food's flavor. This is what causes the deeply browned, flavorful crust often associated with grilled or griddled burger patties.

You don't need to pan-sear the meatballs in order to develop great flavor; you can bake them instead, though the meatballs may not brown as deeply or as easily as they would in a hot skillet. To bake the meatballs, add all of the meatballs to a sheet pan and bake at 425 F for 15 to 20 minutes. To brown the meatballs, you can switch the oven to broil for the last several minutes, rotating the meatballs every minute to brown each side.

These meatball subs are admittedly hard to reheat once assembled because the burger sauce, tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickles are better when added fresh rather than reheated with the sandwich. If possible, save each component separately, including the bread. Store the meatballs in a container, the burger sauce in a squeeze bottle (for easy application), and the fresh toppings in another container. This way, you can heat the meatballs, toast the hoagie with cheese, and assemble the sandwiches fresh.

If you've already assembled the sandwiches, I'd still recommend that you remove the fresh toppings before reheating them to avoid wilting, but you can avoid disassembling the entire thing. Remove the lettuce, tomato, and pickles, then wrap the entire sandwich in foil and bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. The hoagie should remain soft while the meatballs warm through, and the cheese should melt slightly. Add the fresh toppings and some fresh burger sauce back to the sandwiches before serving.

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