Italian Meatball Subs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond meal (or breadcrumbs)
  
• 16 ounces ground beef (85% lean)
  
• 16 ounces ground pork
  
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping the subs
  
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for topping the subs
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon salt & black pepper
  
• 1 large jar of your favorite marinara sauce
  
• 2 cups mozzarella
  
• 16 club rolls or small sub rolls
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Gently mix together almond meal (or bread crumbs), meat, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, onions, eggs, salt and pepper.
3. Spray hands with cooking spray to make handling the meatballs easier. Use a 1 ½ inch scoop to ensure each meatball is the same size, and roll them by hand to give them a nice round shape before placing them evenly on the cookie sheet (this recipe should produce 36 meatballs).
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Leave the oven on 400 degrees.
5. Heat marinara sauce in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Drop meatballs into sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, for 5 minutes.
6. Arrange sub rolls cut side up on a baking sheet. If the tops aren’t slit open, cut each one, being careful to only cut through the bun halfway.
7. Place 2 meatballs in each bun, and top with a spoonful of marinara, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon Parmesan for each meatball.
8. Bake until cheese melts, about 3-4 minutes.
9. Remove and sprinkle with a little fresh parsley before serving.