These Italian Meatballs are the perfect flavor combination with a mix of ground beef and sausage with a dozen flavorful herbs and spices
Today, I’m expanding my culinary horizons. I’m eating meatballs in marinara sauce for breakfast. 🙂
It’s a little known fact that friends think I’m weird because I eat non-traditional things for breakfast.
Like these scrumptious Italian Meatballs.
With a rich, savory, spicy, mouth-watering flavor coupled with perfect texture and consistency, I say ‘how could you not’?
I mean, does it really matter what time of day it is to eat amazing food? I say no!
So…although this isn’t my first time making meatballs, I have to tell you – it’s by far my best recipe. These not only have amazing flavor, but the texture and consistency is so perfect.
I’m seriously wondering if you all find the frozen, store-boughten ones as miserably rubbery, chewy and generally unedible as I do? Ugh. I can hardly choke them down.
These? A totally different story. These are fabulous. Even breakfast-worthy. 🙂
Now, once you have these bad boys all made up, I highly recommend you make yourself an Italian Meatball Sub. They are ssssoooo good! The flavors blend perfectly and the parmesan and provolone are awesome paired together! (p.s. be sure to toast the buns to prevent them from getting soggy).
Ok, now here’s a little trick to getting all your meatballs the exact same size (and you won’t have to handle them so much! w00t!): use a cookie scoop! It keeps your hands clean, and it will pack the meatball not too tightly and not too loosely – so you get the perfect size and consistency, every.single.time.
Trust me, it works like a charm. And, who doesn’t need a little charm in the kitchen? 🙂
What I loved about cooking this particular Italian Meatball recipe is, they did not fall apart while cooking. The binding ingredients are perfect for binding together and staying together. Once a meatball family, always a meatball family – they stick together! 🙂
Now, if you want to pump it up a notch with mind-blowing, mouth-watering taste, mix yourself this Spicy Marinara Sauce to top your Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich.
Instructions to do the Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich:
- Generously slather melted butter over the insides of the buns and toast them in a hot skillet until the inside is crispy (this helps keep the sauce from soaking through the bun); remove and set aside.
- Add two slices of provolone cheese to the inside of each bun. Next, place them on a baking sheet and put the baking sheet in a pre-heated 450 degree oven until the cheese melts.
- When cheese is melted, remove them and top with 4+ meatballs (fill them side-to-side with meatball, baby)!
- Top with a generous amount of pre-heated Spicy Marinara Sauce. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and grated parmesan.
BAM! You’ve got yourself a killer looking gourmet sandwich!
Now, here comes the fun part. Are you ready for this?
Grab it with both hands and show it you mean business! Now, get ready to get real messy. p.s. for the more conservative, grab a knife and fork and go ahead and act all civilized-like. Now, EAT! And, don’t stop ’til you’re done.
Enjoy!
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef (7% fat)
- 2 Hot Italian Sausage links, casing removed (discard) and sausage crumbled (approx 8 ounces)
- ⅓ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 eggs, extra large
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed thyme
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
- -----
- 2 - 3 tablespoons butter
- Mix all ingredients (except the butter!) together until thoroughly mixed.
- Roll into evenly sized balls (this is easy by using a cookie scoop!).
- In a skillet, cook meatballs in melted butter over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until done through.
This looks amazing and the funny thing is I just made some meatballs with a tomato sauce for our lunch (here in Spain we have our big meal during the day). I love the list of ingredients! xoxo
Great minds think alike Johlene! Hahaha! I’d love to see your version – I’d like to try them! Have a great weekend!
That looks like a wonderful breakfast to me!!!
Thanks Mimi! I wholeheartedly agree! They were tasty!
Meatballs for breakfast? Wow. The only reason I wouldn’t go for it is that I could only be disappoint by the following meals! Seriously tasty 🙂 🙂
Hahahaha! I know, right? How do you possibly end the day with a starter like that! 🙂
OK, these meatballs sound like the best ever, and I might just start eating them for breakfast! They look so good in that spicy marinara and that sandwich would be such a hit here in my house! Pinning to try! 🙂
Thanks for the pin Marcie! If you do make them, your family will love them! Winner, winner!
Those look like some perfect meatballs! Hahaha I’m not judging for eating them at breakfast… I would too!
Hahaha! You can join me 😉 It can become a club!
I just ALOL in Starbucks! Patrons and baristas alike are looking at me like I’m crazy. But I’m not, you just crack me up with your meatball family comments. And a cookie scoop?! For meatballs?!?! You are, like, my culinary hero. For real. Pinned because I must try these out!! It is about time for me to try a new recipe out, and, yes, I find the frozen ones intolerable.
Thanks for the pin crazy girl. And yes, I ALOL when I read you ALOL’ing in Starbucks. Girl, they gonna think you crazy! 😉 This comment made my day. And, the cookie scoop? Yes, I’m claiming brilliance on that one. Thought it up my ownself. I scare myself sometimes. 😉
I am SO there with eating savory foods for breakfast, or whenever the craving strikes. The other day I made a grilled cheese for breakfast and ate an omelet for dinner. I guess I’m an equal opportunist. 🙂 Meatball subs are one of my most favorite sandwiches. Lots of sauce, deliciously-flavored meatballs, melted cheese, all on a toasted bun? Swoon! These look great! I love the tip about the cookie scoop, too – much less messy. 🙂
YES! Grilled cheese for breakfast!!! I am so down with that! 🙂 I love the ‘equal opportunist’. My motto is – “May the best sandwich win” for breakfast – and if that happens to be a savory meatball sandwich and not an Egg White McMuffin, I’m good with that! And YES to the cookie scoop!!! It worked brilliantly!
Meatballs for breakfast? Girl, you are living the glorious life. These meatballs look amazing and I’m kinda craving a big bowlful at 9:30pm! There’s never a wrong time for meatballs right? 😉 And I love your tip on using a cookie scoop to make the meatballs uniform size. Must try that! Pinned. 🙂
Thanks for the pin Sarah! Oh yea – living the good life on meatballs for breakfast! Hahaha! BTW, you will love the cookie scoop tip – it worked amazingly well. My hands stayed clean, they shaped perfectly and stayed together when cooked.
Haha no judging here, I would totally have meatballs for breakfast if they looked like this! I mean look at that mesmerizing sauce and all these flavors! Drooling over that sandwich – no knife and fork for me please – they would just slow me down haha 🙂
Hahaha! I love that Kelly – I’m LOL’ing at the fork and knife slowing you down! 🙂 Have a great weekend.
Meatballs for breakfast?! Well, at least you are eating breakfast, right? 😀 These seriously look delicious and homemade meatballs beat the heck out of anything you can buy at the store. I love that you used italian sausage in your recipe. That sounds really tasty.
Thanks Cindy! the sausage definitely added a bit of a kick and they were so moist! Have a beautiful weekend!
I’ve seen many of meatball recipes, but your photos have enticed me to try out the recipe for both the meatballs and the sauce. Goodness!
Thanks Memoria!!! I’m so glad you like it! Have a great weekend.
Now you have me craving meatballs for breakfast lol! These look so fine! That meatball sub will appear in my dreams tonight, I’m sure!!
Enjoy your weekend! <3
Hahaha! I like the meatballs dreams idea – yum! Have a wonderful weekend Consuelo!
These look great!! YUM! And don’t let your friends judge you for eating ‘non-traditional’ breakfast food! Just the other day I ate spaghetti squash and today I ate crackers with hummus and salsa… YUM! Most people like sweet breakfasts, but I prefer savory! Don’t get me wrong… I love sweets, but not usually at breakfast!
I like sweets too – but not for breakfast! So, I’m with you! Have a beautiful Sunday Cailee!
We recently went to China, where there is no such thing as “breakfast food”. I have to say it really makes sense. Why does breakfast have to include a muffin or eggs? I could totally go for meatballs in the morning. Love the cookie scoop idea – I’ll definitely be trying that!
So glad you like the cookie scoop idea Sherri – it worked really well! I think the idea of no rules for breakfast is a great idea! It certainly opens up a lot more possibilities.
Meatballs for breakfast should TOTALLY be a thing!!!!!!!! OH goodness!!!! I’m craving thissssss now! These meatballs stuffed inside that toasted bun loaded with provolone is just makingggg me DROOL!!!!! This is the perfect sub that deserves to be eaten messily!!!! No knife and fork for me for this one! <3 *-*
I didn’t knife and fork it either Samina! You and I could totally eat together! Hahaha! Have a great weekend!
What a brilliant idea, to use a scoop for the meatballs! Love it.
Thanks Beth! It works SO well – you should try it! Have a great Sunday!
OMG! I knew we had an inordinate amount of stuff in common even though we’ve never actually met in person! I love eating stuff like this for breakfast, too! I’m way more of a savory breakfast gal than sweet. My husband just rolls his eyes, but Grethchen still thinks it’s totally bizarre that I would ever in a million years eat “dinner for breakfast”! Spicy Italian Meatball (sub!) with my morning joe? Game on, girlfriend! 😀
Hahaha! I’m with you Shelley – look at it this way – we’re burning our biggest calories off early in the day! 🙂 Have a beautiful Sunday!
meatballs for breakfast?! I’m in!! these look good for any meal of the day!
Thanks Ashley – they were really tasty! And, they have sausage in them, so that sort of qualifies, right? 🙂
Using a cookie scoop is GENIUS! Never, ever thought about that! And what a fantastic idea to eat these for breakfast – I always love changing up what I am eating for breakfast! Pinned 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend Kristi!
It worked so well Chelsea – I as amazed myself! I had a great weekend. I hope you did too!
Perfection! I miss meatballs (I’m now vegetarian) but can appreciate! I made some veggie meatballs with spaghetti it was perfect!
http://dancingthroughsunday.typepad.com/my-blog/2014/05/spaghetti-vegetarian-meatballs-w-mushroom-and-couscous-.html
I’ve never had vegetarian meatballs before, but they sound delicious!
oh YUM! I LOVE italian meatballs. These looks delicious. Definitely giving this recipe a try. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jenn! I’m a huge meatball fan too. Being married to an Italian, how could I not be? Haha!
Gorgeous Italian Meatballs, Kristi. I want these!!!! And then I want those leftovers in a meatball sub w/provolone!!! Yum.
Thanks Allie. That was one tasty sandwich. We loved it!
That sub sandwich looks so delicious, I want one right now! And thanks for the spicy marinara recipe, because that looks good too.
Thanks Jeff! Try it – I think you’ll love it!