Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

Our Slow Cooker Meatball Subs make for an easy and delicious dinner. The flavor of the ground beef meatball, topped with spaghetti sauce and combined with melted mozzarella on a good bun, is delicious.

This dish was born out of boredom. As baseball season was in full swing, we were all tired of a roast in the crockpot. So I used our Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe as the base for these Slow Cooker Meatball Subs. Browned the meatballs and dumped them into the crockpot, then topped them with a jar of spaghetti sauce. I turned it on low to let the meatballs finish cooking. When we got home late from a ball game, dinner came together quickly. They were perfect for tired and hungry boys! 

I will definitely put this into the menu rotation this fall, especially when I need an easy dinner.

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs Tips 

• Use a small ice cream scoop to make the meatballs. This helps you maintain a consistent size for each meatball. 
• Brown the meatballs before putting them in the slow cooker. This allows for caramelization of the outside of the meatball as well as good meat handling practices. It is never a good idea to put raw meat directly into a slow cooker. 
• If you don’t have a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce on hand, you can substitute it with a can of tomato sauce. Just doctor it up with garlic powder, dried basil, and thyme.

What Type of Bread to Serve the Meatballs On

I have tried a couple of different roll options, and I have found that a deli hot dog or hoagie roll is best. The hot dog bun is smaller, allowing for better portion control; however, the hoagie roll provides a sturdier sandwich.

Freezing the Meatballs

You can make these meatballs ahead of time, brown them, and freeze them. Then, simply place the frozen meatball in the slow cooker and add the sauce. When cooking the frozen meatballs, I would set the slow cooker to high and cook them for a little longer than a thawed meatball.

What to Serve with the Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

We like to serve a salad with the Meatball Subs. One of our go-to dressings is our Creamy Vinaigrette. This is an excellent option as it can be made ahead of time and is ready to go when the subs are done.

Ingredients for the Slow Cooker Meatballs

• 2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• Italian Seasoning (garlic powder, basil, thyme)
• 1 Large egg
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Jarred Spaghetti Sauce 
• Mozzerlla 
• Buns

Instructions

Begin by coating the skillet with olive oil. Sauté half a medium onion. Add two tablespoons of tomato paste and two cloves of garlic, and cook for a minute or two. Once they are cooked down, remove from the skillet and place in a bowl to combine with the ground beef for the meatballs.

To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, half of the pesto and sautéed onions, breadcrumbs, egg, and parmesan.  Then form meatballs about the size of an egg, and you will end up with about twenty-four meatballs.

Using the same skillet in which you cooked the onions, brown the meatballs in batches.

Using the same skillet in which you cooked the onions, brown the meatballs in batches.

Then, place the meatballs in a preheated slow cooker and pour the jarred spaghetti sauce over them.

Cook the meatballs on low for 4 to 6 hours.

To assemble the subs, place two to three meatballs on a bun with sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. Then, put the mixture on a sheet pan and bake in a 425-degree oven until the cheese is melted.