Meatball Sub Sliders to the rescue! Slider recipes made with hamburger (ground beef) are always a big hit with my family and at gatherings with friends. Slider sandwiches are quick and easy to make ahead of time, baking them when needed. We especially like slider recipes that include Hawaiian rolls.
Meatball Sub Sliders Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We?? 
3 good reasons to love this recipe –
- They are a fun-size version of a burger.
- Make ’em ahead and bake ’em when it’s time to eat.
- Nobody can eat just one!
What ingredients do you need to make Meatball Sub Sliders?
- Hawaiian rolls
- Olive oil
- Frozen meatballs
- Marinara
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan, if desired
How to Make Meatball Sub Sliders in 4 Easy Steps –
- Unwrap the rolls and place them as a sheet into a greased 9 x 13 pan; use you fingers to gently pull the center from each roll, leaving the sides and bottom in tact; brush the inside of each roll with a bit of olive oil. Spoon a bit of marinara into the center of each hole.
- Meanwhile, brown the meatballs in a bit of hot oil in a skillet; place a browned meatball into the marinara in each roll, then top with a bit more marinara, giving the marinara a good sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired. Cover with foil.
- Bake the sub sliders, covered, in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 15 minutes, then remove the cover and sprinkle the subs with mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese melted and the subs are hot throughout. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the subs apart, then serve at once. Enjoy!
Common Questions Asked About
This Recipe
What tools are helpful for making meatball sub sliders?
- A 9×13 pan is what I usually have on hand for baking sub sliders, though a smaller casserole dish may even work, depending on the size of your sheet of rolls.
- I have even used a 10-inch cast iron skillet for baking sliders and it works just great!
- For slicing the sliders, a pizza cutter makes short and sweet work of it.
Why does the recipe instruct to brown the meatballs if they are already pre-cooked?
- Great question! When we cook, brown is never a color – it’s a flavor! Anytime we can cook something in a bit of hot oil to amp up the browning, we are adding tons of FLAVOR.
- Browning the meatballs is a very worthwhile step even though it does add a bit more time to making the subs. If you skillet and the oil are nicely hot, you can brown the meatballs in just a minute or two.
If I don’t have olive oil on hand for brushing the rolls and browning the meatballs, can I use vegetable or canola oil instead?
Absolutely – works great.
Can I make my own meatballs for this recipe instead of using the frozen pre-cooked meatballs?
- You sure can. Just be sure the meatballs are fully cooked BEFORE adding them to the marinara sauce in the rolls – raw meatballs won’t work for make these sliders.
Can I freeze Meatball Sub Sliders?
Yes. I like to assemble the sliders and put them in the freezer to bake later. If you do this, don’t thaw the sliders before baking them since the slider bread when defrosting. Instead, bake the sliders from frozen at 325 degrees F. for an additional 10-15 minutes than the recipe directs.
More Favorite Recipes to Enjoy –
-
SAVORY SWEET BACON CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS
-
INSTANT POT BUFFALO CHICKEN SLIDERS
-
BEEF PATTY MELT SLIDERS WITH SECRET SAUCE
-
AIR FRYER BRATS WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS
- OPEN-FACE ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES
Printable Meatball Sub Sliders Recipe
Meatball Sub Sliders
Meatball Sub Sliders to the rescue! Slider recipes made with hamburger (ground beef) are always a big hit with my family and at gatherings with friends. Slider sandwiches are quick and easy to make ahead of time and we especially like slider recipes that include Hawaiian rolls.
Course Appetizers, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword beef sliders, easy, ground beef, hamburger, sandwiches, sub sandwiches
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 sliders
Calories 216kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pkg pkg. Hawaiian rolls (or any soft rolls or slider buns) 12 count
- 12 frozen meatballs thawed (these should be the fully-cooked type of meatballs)
- olive oil for browning meatballs and brushing rolls
- 3/4 – 1 cup of your favorite marinara depending how saucy you prefer the sliders
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese for sprinkling, if desired
- 1/2 – 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the package of Hawaiian rolls into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Using your fingers, gently pull the center from each roll, leaving the bottom and sides in tact and making the hole just a little bigger than your meatballs; brush the center of each roll with a bit of olive oil. Now, spoon a tablespoon of marinara into the center of each roll.
- Meanwhile, over medium – medium high heat, cook the meatballs in a bit of olive oil just until browned on all sides. Place a browned meatball into the marinara inside each roll. Spoon a little more marinara over the top of each meatball, then sprinkle with Parmesan, as desired.
- Bake, covered, on the center rack of the oven for 15 minutes; remove the covering and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, followed by more Parmesan, if desired. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes, or until hot throughout and the cheese is nicely melted.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the sub sliders apart, then serve at once.
Nutrition
Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 553mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 2mg
Thanks for visiting! I hope you return soon for more yummy recipes for your family.
We love hearing from our readers and followers, so leave us a comment if you’d like. If you don’t hear back from us shortly, know that we may not have seen your comment. Feel free to reach out to us by email: ChefAlli@ChefAlli.com.
Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli
Please Note: We do use referral and affiliate links here for products and services that Chef Alli loves and recommends. I may receive a small compensation when you use these links. This really helps me keep my recipe blog moving forward. Thank you so much!
The post Meatball Sub Sliders appeared first on Chef Alli.