**Update: This post and recipe have been featured on HelloCotton’s Top Of The Day Healthy Foods and Foodbuzz’s Daily Top 9.**
Meatballs, I used to hate them. When I say hate I mean the mere sight of a meatball repulsed me. If a meatball covered in red sauce and jammed inside a roll ever crossed my path it made my body quiver in disgust. These repulsive feelings towards meatballs were to blame on grade school cafeteria food. Much like the story of Sloppy Joe’s, I previously shared, our history started off badly. Every time I saw someone order or eat meatballs covered in sauce it was pure torture. I would flash back to the cafeteria meatballs that the lunch ladies forced me to eat. During those years I was still learning English and I couldn’t explain to them that those “meat” balls tasted like ground cardboard swimming in bland tomato juice. I could never understand why anyone enjoyed putting those meatballs in their mouths.
For years after grade school and up until my early 20s meatballs were something I avoided like the plague. But that all changed when hubby cooked his special meatball sandwich for me. I admit there was huge hesitation on my part but I trusted my husband and agreed to try them. Hubby’s meatballs were tender, juicy and the sauce thick, tangy and sweet with a hint of spiciness. (Why does that all sound so perverted? Don’t laugh…Lol) I loved the meatball sub so much that for a month I requested it for dinner every week.
(If you would like to publish my recipe on your website please quote Spicie Foodie as the recipe creator, and place a link back to the recipe.)
Hubby’s Meatball Sub Sauce
240 g tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp granulated garlic
1-2 tsp cayenne, adjust to taste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
cooked meatballs, I like to make meatballs from scratch but you can also purchase ready made from the butcher.
baguettes
Provolone cheese or Gorgonzola, any mild Italian Cheese
1. Cook the meatballs through, and drain off all excess fat from pan. Mix in all the sauce ingredients, stirring until well combined. Cover and allow to cook until the tomato paste thickens. Serve the meatballs in sub rolls or baguettes. Top with cheese slices and if desired place under broiler to melt the cheese. Serve with desired side dishes. We served ours with potato croquettes.
One day he taught me how to make them and now every once in a while I’ll make them for us. What I love about hubby’s recipe is that it is so fast and easy to prepare but you’d guess it took a long time. Don’t think that the tomato paste will give it a sweet taste, the addition of cayenne and garlic help balance it completely. Plus using the paste will result in shorter cooking times. This meal is perfect for nights when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking dinner, like movie night. We have movie night a few nights a week and this meal is on our movie night rotation. Which brings me to UnoTelly.
Last week we added a fantastic service to our movie night choices, UnoTelly. Because of UnoTelly we can now watch TV programs, and movies we previously didn’t have access to. You see since we live in Europe many of the online services you in the USA have access to, we in Europe are blocked from. (Two of those being Netflix and Hulu, major services for those of us that want to watch TV or movies on demand.) But now because of UnoTelly we can access Netflix, Hulu, TV shows, sport channels, music channels, and now I can also watch the Food Network – wohoo!
UnoTelly is a DNS-based system to allow people who live outside of the USA to watch Netflix and Hulu. UK expats can on the other hand enjoy British channels (BBC iPlayer, 4oD, iTV, Channel 5) they miss. The service is great because you can also connect your computer, smartphone, TV, xbox 360, WII, Android, iPad, AppleTV, Roku, and many other devices. We’ve connected all of our devices and so far I can say we love UnoTelly. I also really loved that I was able to connect all our devices by myself without having to ask for help, it was super easy. The low price and unlimited bandwidth is another fantastic thing about UnoTelly. The low price of UnoTelly combined with our Netflix membership cost was still much lower than our monthly cost of movie rentals and cinema tickets. Need I mention the whole convenience factor? Now we don’t have to work around other’s schedule, we choose when and how often to watch what we want-can’t beat that!
Please come back on Monday when I’ll have a very special UnoTelly offer for international Spicie Foodie readers. Have a great weekend everyone!
*The opinions are my own and based on my personal experience with UnoTelly services.
Wow, those look mighty scrumptious! A fabulous sandwich. Now, I’m drooling…
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you Rosa:)
i guess in the cafeteria, they used frozen meat, thus it tasted really bad!
I’m sure that was the case Michelle.
Oh boy what a treat while playing our favorite game love that melted cheese and crusty bread…. meatball subs always a good choice!
Thanks Claudia!
WOWOWOW!!!! This looks so good! Every time I stop by your site to see whats cooking you always seem to amaze me. Great pictures, great meal, great everything! Happy Friday!
Lol, Thank you Natalie:) Happy Friday and have a great weekend.
I totally agree with you. These shouldn’t be served in school cafeterias! Look at what we’ve been missing out on. I felt that way about “Shepherd’s Pie”. It looks horrible and it was years later that I realized I loved the dish. It’s on my list of fall dishes to make this year.
Hi Sarah,
Hehe, I thought I was the only one who felt that way:) Sheppherd’s Pie is one of my favorites now too. Can’t wait to see it on your blog in the fall.
I adore meatball subs!! And unfortunately, I have very fond memories of them from school ESPECIALLY the sloppy joes. I’m still to this day trying to recreate the familiar taste of cafeteria sloppy joes. Maybe the reason why they don’t taste that way are all the fresh ingredients I use. Haha. Thanks for the tip on watching Hulu, etc outside of US! Always such a pain when I travel internationally and will look into short term plans.
Hi Mei-i,
Lol, you’re experience was much better than mine. No problem and I hope you enjoy UnoTelly as much as we are.
Glad you had the epiphany. Meatballs, when prepared correctly, are yummy. Which shows will you be watching first?
They really are. We’ve been watching Star Trek: Next Generation, and a few others as well as movies. Do you recommend any shows? We haven’t lived in the USA for a long time so we are out of touch.
I know what you mean about meatballs (and even meatloaf), I used to dislike them. Now I can’t get enough, when interestingly presented, like Hubby’s. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Victoria,
I used to be the same way about meatloaf. That is until I tried my mother-in-laws, so so good. Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe. I have lazy nights every night :)
My pleasure Damaris. Lol, don’t we all:)
This is a high class meatball sandwich and those potato croquettes look like perfection.
Thank you Sandra:)
This is one gorgeous sub. I desperately want to come for dinner.
Come on over Kim, we’ll watch a movie and pig out on meatball subs, hehe:)
Oh my gosh.. you hated meatballs? We are born on the same day and you hated the one thing I love. Too funny! Well I’m glad you hubby’s “meatballs” turned you around! The sub looks amazing!! I am a TV junkie so the more channels the better. :) Enjoy your Movie Night. :)
Haha, sorry:) I’m actually not a TV junkie but having this service might start changing that. Thanks!
that top photo is amazing! they’re all good, but that one is really nice. and what is it with men and sandwiches? they are just geniuses, somehow. these look wonderful.
Thank you Anna:) Yes, men really know how to make great sandwiches.
I saw my husband ordered meatballs sandwich before but I didn’t get to try how it’s like to eat meatballs in sandwich buns. I’ve never paid close attention to this sandwich but looking at your food, I think I need to give it a try next time. It does look delicious! Must make homemade sauce! Looks yum!
Thanks Nami and I hope you try it and like it.
Congrats Nancy, glad to see you in Today’s Top 9!
Thank you Sandra!
This looks so good, and I know when i make it, my hubby will love it. Thanks for sharing…
Thank you Tania. I’m sure you’re husband will love it. Men always love sandwiches and meatballs:)
I can see how this sauce could bring you to “meatball love”! Gorgeous sandwich in which I have no doubt my boys would devour multiples of! And how cool with the movie service! I steam Netflix on my Blue-ray and see many of the older movies…will send you suggestions when I see something I think you would enjoy ;)
Lol, I think all men love meatball subs:) Thanks Alisha, I’d love some suggestions.
Wow yummy, I would love to share one of these meatball sandwiches with a friend;-)
Thanks!
Poppa Trix would LOVE this for dinner! You are right – all men love meatballs. But then, so do I … and yes, it does sound a little dirty but maybe that’s why I like it ; )
Haha, yeah they do. I think I like you just a little more now;)
Didn’t like meatballs??? I’m so glad hubby was able to convert you, I love them piled high on a sub. It’s so cool you can watch some of our shows now. I missed coming over here.
-Gina-
Yeah, I’m a convert now:) We’ve been really enjoying having Netflix, too much maybe. Lol.
I finally made it! I wanted to make this sub for a long time, all the more so as it’s barely known or done in France. And I found your recipe whose pictures seemed so yummy that I had to try it!
Here’s the link if you’d like to have a look. Thank you again for this great recipe!
http://pausecafe.cuisine.over-blog.com/article-le-sandwich-aux-boulettes-de-joey-joey-s-meatball-sandwich-108531961.html
Hello Claire,
I am happy that you tried my recipe. Yours sandwich looks fantastic. Thanks for stopping to let me know:)