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A cheesy meatball sub with tomato sauce on a bun, on a plate, with sauce in the background.

Havarti Stuffed Meatball Subs with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Sara
Cozy and cheesy meatball subs for two! Sausage meatballs stuffed with Havarti, topped with provolone, and smothered in roasted tomato basil sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 sandwiches
Calories 996 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Roasted Tomato Sauce:

  • 1 cup cup Cherry Tomatoes (or grape tomatoes, or chopped heirloom tomatoes)
  • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
  • pinch Kosher Salt + Cracked Black Pepper
  • 2-3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 2-3 cloves Garlic smashed
  • 3-4 Fresh Basil Leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

For the Meatballs:

  • 3 oz. Havarti Cheese or mozzarella
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 tbsp. Whole Milk
  • 8 oz. Ground Italian Sausage mild or spicy
  • 1/3 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
  • 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt or 1/2 tsp. Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper

For the Sandwiches:

  • 2 Onion Sub Buns or any hoagie / sub bun
  • 2 slices Provolone Cheese
  • extra grated Parmesan Cheese + Fresh Basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Roast the Tomatoes. Place 1 cup cup Cherry Tomatoes, 2-3 cloves Garlic, and 2-3 sprigs Fresh Thyme on a small rimmed baking sheet (I use a these small ones that are about 9″ x 7″(ish) inches). Drizzle with 1 tbsp. Olive Oil, and sprinkle with a generous pinch Kosher Salt + Cracked Black Pepper. Toss to coat everything in oil/salt/pepper, then pop the baking sheet into the preheated oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.
    Roasted tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Prep the Cheese Cubes. First, preheat the oven to 375 F. Cut 3 oz. Havarti Cheese into 20 little cubes, each about 1/2″ in size. Transfer them onto a little plate, then pop the plate in the freezer while you prepare everything else.
    Small cheese cubes being cut on a cutting board.
  • Make the Meatballs. In a small glass mixing cup, whisk 1 Large Egg and 1 tbsp. Whole Milk together until well blended. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz. Ground Italian Sausage, 1/3 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning, 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder, 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt, and 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked Black Pepper. Use your hands to gently mix everything together until mostly combined (don’t overmix it though – I still had some rogue breadcrumbs that hadn’t quite been mixed in yet!) Pour the egg/milk mixture into the bowl, then use your hands to mix everything together again until very well combined.
    Meatball mixture in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Form the Meatballs. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (I use a quarter sheet pan for this – it’s about 9″ x 13″). Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture out of the bowl (a #40 cookie scoop is perfect for this – it’s a 2 tbsp. / 1 oz. scoop!). Flatten it into a disc, then place two cheese cubes in the center. Gently form the meatball mixture around the cheese cubes, enclosing them in the center and forming a meatball. Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet once they’re formed, and repeat with the remaining meatball mixture and cheese. You should have 9-10 meatballs.
    A woman's hand holding a cheese stuffed meatball.
  • Bake the Meatballs. Around this time, the 15 minutes timer that you set for the roasted tomatoes should be going off. Keep the tomatoes in the oven, and also pop the meatballs into the oven, then set a new timer for 20 minutes. (The tomatoes should roast for a total time of about 35 minutes, and the meatballs about 20 minutes).
    Baked cheesy meatballs on a baking sheet.
  • Toast the Buns. While the tomatoes and meatballs bake, toast 2 Onion Sub Buns, cut side down, in a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
  • Make the Tomato Sauce. Once the tomatoes are roasted and blistered, discard the thyme sprigs. Carefully transfer the roasted tomatoes, garlic cloves, and any juices from the baking sheet into a blender. Add 3-4 Fresh Basil Leaves (if using), and 1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar. Blend until smooth, or to your desired consistency. Set aside.
    Tomato sauce in a small food processor.
  • Build the Subs. Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of tomato sauce over the bottom of each bun. Place 4-5 meatballs onto the bottom bun, directly on top of the tomato sauce. Cover each row of meatballs with one slice of provolone cheese, torn in half, to cover the meatballs entirely. Pop the sandwiches back into the warm oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Carefully transfer the sandwiches to plates, then spoon more roasted tomato sauce onto the melted cheese before serving. Serve with extra grated Parmesan Cheese + Fresh Basil on top, if desired.
    Two meatball subs on a rimmed baking sheet.

Notes

These make two large sandwiches, but they can easily be split in half to make four portions!
To be more cost-effective, stuff the meatballs with havarti, then thinly slice more havarti to melt on top of the meatballs (rather than provolone).
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 996kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 47gFat: 68gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 2138mgPotassium: 628mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1198IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 658mgIron: 14mg
Keyword cheese stuffed meatballs, cheesy meatball sandwich, meatball sandwich, meatball sub
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