Make tender, juicy delicious turkey meatballs in the slow cooker, then layer between your favorite sub rolls with melted mozzarella and rich ricotta for turkey meatball subs.
I made a batch of my slow cooker turkey meatballs for my game day video series on Instagram, and then I decided I’d make meatball subs with the meatballs, and it was FIRE. I’m not a huge fan of meatball subs because they are often soggy, and soggy bread is disgusting. But I came up with a way that these can be “self-served” that keeps them hot and ready to eat, so there is no sogginess from the sauce! I knew I wanted to share it here in time for game day in case anyone wants to try to serve this for Super Bowl weekend. It is sure to be a winner!
How to Make Turkey Meatball Subs
*Note this is a summary how-to section only, the full recipe card is below.
To serve these meatball subs, first, you make your meatballs. Let those cook all the way, and when you are ready to serve, you can kind of pre-assemble the sandwiches. I brushed the halves with olive oil and toasted them in the oven. Then I melted mozzarella on one side and slathered ricotta on the other. And trust me, the ricotta is amazing. I don’t know why it isn’t a traditional part of meatball subs, but let’s make it a thing because my husband and I were OBSESSED with it. Then that’s it, you can provide the bread with cheese on each half to your guests and let them add their own meatballs and fresh basil. BAMN, never a super soggy meatball sandwich anywhere in your vicinity! And did I mention delicious?
Swaps and Substitutions
- Turkey Meatballs – I made my slow cooker turkey meatballs. Feel free to use pre-cooked regular meatballs or turkey meatballs with marinara as well! The slow cooker just makes this really crowd-friendly to keep it hot while people “build their own sandwiches.”
- Mozzarella Cheese – could sub provolone or dairy-free meltable varieties.
- Ricotta Cheese – this isn’t traditional on a meatball sub, but it’s flipping delicious. Don’t knock it till you try it. Dairy-free ricotta versions are good, too! Feel free if you are anti-ricotta on your meatball subs.
- Rolls – I prefer a crustier bread that toasts up well because of the aforementioned issue with soggy foods. However, I know the internet stands divided on this. Some people love softer sub-type rolls or brioche buns for their meatball subs. You do you! You can follow the same process regardless of the type of bread.
- Olive Oil – optional to add flavor when toasting bread!
How to Freeze and Store Turkey Meatball Subs
To store: Ideally, store bread leftovers separate from meatballs in the refrigerator. Build sandwiches from leftovers by reheating meatballs in the microwave to an internal temperature of 165F. However, I made up a bunch of sandwiches for this photo shoot and then refrigerated them after. My husband loved them even two days later! So it’s really a preference thing.
To freeze: If you freeze, you’ll only want to freeze the ingredients separately, such as the meatballs, the cheeses, and the bread. Thaw under refrigeration and reheat the meatballs to 165F internal temperature, then build out your sandwiches. I would not freeze whole meatball sub sandwiches as it likely will end up mushy and unappetizing.
Tag me if you make these! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD and Facebook @hungryhobby!
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Sub Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
- 2 lbs 93% lean ground turkey can sub chicken
- 1 tbsp dried onion flakes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 36 ounces marinara sauce
Sub
- 8 rolls
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounces mozzarella
- 8 ounces ricotta
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
Instructions
For Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
- Combine the turkey, onion, parsley, basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, and oat flour in a large bowl. Mix until thoroughly combined. Form meatballs using a cookie scoop, which should yield 24-32 meatballs.
- Add a layer of sauce (about 1/3 of the sauce or 12 ounces) to the bottom of your crockpot. Now add a layer of meatballs, evenly spaced at least an inch apart. Cover the meatballs with 1/3 of sauce (or 12 ounces) and add a second layer of meatballs. Cover those meatballs with sauce.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 on low. Refrain from stirring until meatballs start to set, then you can stir to promote even cooking and satisfy your need to mess with it (I feel you I'm the same way.)Make sure the internal temperature of your meatballs reaches a minimum of 165F.
For Subs
- Preheat oven to 400F. Brush all pieces of bread with olive oil. Toast bread at 400F for 3-8 minutes until golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and add mozzarella to half the pieces of bread. Return the mozzarella bread back to the oven to bake until melted. On the other half of the bread spread the ricotta.
- Once the bread is prepped, allow guests to build their own meatball subs by getting meatballs out of the slow cooker to add to their bread and sprinkling with fresh basil. Sandwiches should be piece of bread with ricotta, meatballs, and one piece of bread with melted mozzarella.
Video
Notes
- I haven't tried it, but subbing ground chicken should be no problem. Â
- Use chickpea flour, breadcrumbs, or any other binder in place of oat flour. I haven't tried them, but again, it should work! Â
Nutrition
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