Pizza Parlor Meatball Sandwiches
with Garlic Butter Buns & Oven Fries
- Milk
- Wheat
- Soy
Bring a comforting Italian-American staple to the dinner table with these sumptuously saucy, marvelously marinara-ey meatball sandwiches. They’re packed with rich, melty mozzarella and plated up with a side of crispy oven fries (because every great sandwich deserves a side of fries). What takes these beefy loaded sandos right over the top? A dose of liquid gold in the form of savory garlic butter brushed on those pillowy buns just before serving.
Ingredients
12 ounce
Potatoes
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
2 clove
Garlic
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
10 ounce
Ground Beef
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
2 unit
Potato Buns
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
5 ounce
Marinara Sauce
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4) to room temperature. Wash and dry produce. • Trim, peel, and cut potatoes into sticks (like fries—ours were 3 inches long and 1⁄3 inch thick). Peel and mince or grate garlic.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet. Toss potatoes on one side of sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper (spread out across entire sheet for 4 servings). Roast on top rack for 5 minutes (you’ll add more to the sheet then).
• Meanwhile, in a medium microwave-safe bowl, gently combine beef*, panko, half the garlic, 2 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice, ½ tsp salt, and pepper (4 tsp Tuscan Heat Spice and 1 tsp salt for 4 servings). (You’ll use the rest of the Tuscan Heat Spice in the next step.) Form into 6-8 meatballs (12-16 meatballs for 4). • Once potatoes have roasted 5 minutes, remove sheet from oven. Carefully place meatballs on opposite side of sheet (for 4, leave potatoes roasting; arrange meatballs on a second baking sheet and roast on middle rack). • Return to top rack and roast until potatoes are browned and tender and meatballs are browned and cooked through, 14-16 minutes.
• While meatballs roast, wash bowl used for beef mixture. When meatballs have 5 minutes left, combine marinara, remaining Tuscan Heat Spice, and a drizzle of olive oil in bowl used for beef. • Cover bowl with plastic wrap; microwave until warmed through, 30-60 seconds. Keep covered until ready to serve.
• Halve buns; toast until golden brown. • While buns toast, combine softened butter, remaining garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. TIP: If butter isn’t soft enough, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds.
• Transfer meatballs to bowl with sauce; toss until thoroughly coated. Fill bottom buns with saucy meatballs and sprinkle with mozzarella. TIP: For a good “cheese pull,” return open-faced sandwiches to oven until cheese melts, 1-2 minutes. • Close sandwiches and brush top buns with garlic butter. • Divide sandwiches and oven fries between plates and serve.
Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the tasty meatballs and garlic butter, though some found the sauce bland; consider adding extra herbs or spices to boost flavor 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, but peeling tiny potatoes was challenging; some preferred forming patties instead of meatballs for easier eating.
- Suggestions: Use hoagie-style rolls instead of round buns to better contain meatballs; cook fries separately to avoid sogginess from meatball grease.
- Portions: Several wanted more sauce and cheese; potatoes were often too small for proper fries, so consider larger spuds or a different side.
- Texture: Toast buns well to prevent sogginess; some found meatballs dense or chewy, so be careful not to overmix.
