Inspiration Kitchen

entertain • inspire • encourage

Navigation
  • Recipes
  • Photography
  • Travel
  • About
    • Meet Kristi
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Terms Of Use
  • Contact

Home » Main Dishes » Beef » Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs

June 12, 2014 by Kristi 46 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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. 🙂

Italian Meatballs | Inspiration KitchenIt’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’?

Italian Meatballs | Inspiration KitchenI 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).

Italian Meatballs | Inspiration KitchenOk, 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.

Spicy Italian Meatballs | Inspiration Kitchen

Instructions to do the Italian Meatball Sub Sandwich:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. When cheese is melted, remove them and top with 4+ meatballs (fill them side-to-side with meatball, baby)!
  4. 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?

Italian Meatballs | Inspiration KitchenGrab 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!

Spicy Italian Meatballs | Inspiration Kitchen
Print Recipe

Italian Meatballs

Course: Main
Author: Kristi

Ingredients

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef 7% fat
  • 2 Hot Italian Sausage links casing removed (discard) and sausage crumbled (approx 8 ounces)
  • 1/3 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
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon parsley
  • 2 tablespoons grated parmesan
  • -----
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  • 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.

Notes

Do not crowd the pan when frying the meatballs. Be sure to leave enough room so that you can easily turn them to cook all sides. Cook in batches if necessary.

Italian Meatballs

Spicy Italian Meatballs | Inspiration KitchenSpicy Italian Meatballs | Inspiration Kitchen

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dishes Tagged With: beef, hamburger, inspiration kitchen, italian, italian sausage, italian sub, italian sub sandwich, marinara sauce, meatball, meatball sandwich, meatball sub, meatballs, recipe, sandwich, sausage, spicy, sub, sub sandwich, submarine sandwich

« Cascade Ice Review & Giveaway + Peach Mango Mimosa Shooters Recipe
Blackened Green Chile Stuffed Burger Dips »

Comments

  1. Johlene says

    June 12, 2014 at 5:06 am

    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

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 5:34 am

      Great minds think alike Johlene! Hahaha! I’d love to see your version – I’d like to try them! Have a great weekend!

      Reply
  2. Mimi says

    June 12, 2014 at 5:09 am

    That looks like a wonderful breakfast to me!!!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 5:34 am

      Thanks Mimi! I wholeheartedly agree! They were tasty!

      Reply
  3. Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ says

    June 12, 2014 at 5:40 am

    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 🙂 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:01 pm

      Hahahaha! I know, right? How do you possibly end the day with a starter like that! 🙂

      Reply
  4. marcie says

    June 12, 2014 at 6:21 am

    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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:02 pm

      Thanks for the pin Marcie! If you do make them, your family will love them! Winner, winner!

      Reply
  5. Chris @ Shared Appetite says

    June 12, 2014 at 11:23 am

    Those look like some perfect meatballs! Hahaha I’m not judging for eating them at breakfast… I would too!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:03 pm

      Hahaha! You can join me 😉 It can become a club!

      Reply
  6. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says

    June 12, 2014 at 11:31 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:05 pm

      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. 😉

      Reply
  7. Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says

    June 12, 2014 at 11:33 am

    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. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:08 pm

      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!

      Reply
  8. Sarah@WholeAndHeavenlyOven says

    June 12, 2014 at 6:34 pm

    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. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 12, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      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.

      Reply
  9. Kelly says

    June 12, 2014 at 8:10 pm

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 13, 2014 at 4:13 am

      Hahaha! I love that Kelly – I’m LOL’ing at the fork and knife slowing you down! 🙂 Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  10. Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says

    June 12, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 13, 2014 at 4:14 am

      Thanks Cindy! the sausage definitely added a bit of a kick and they were so moist! Have a beautiful weekend!

      Reply
  11. Memoria says

    June 13, 2014 at 8:29 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 13, 2014 at 10:32 am

      Thanks Memoria!!! I’m so glad you like it! Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  12. Consuelo - Honey & Figs says

    June 14, 2014 at 3:20 am

    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

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 14, 2014 at 3:31 am

      Hahaha! I like the meatballs dreams idea – yum! Have a wonderful weekend Consuelo!

      Reply
  13. Cailee @ http://hellohealthyeating.com says

    June 14, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 15, 2014 at 4:35 am

      I like sweets too – but not for breakfast! So, I’m with you! Have a beautiful Sunday Cailee!

      Reply
  14. Sherri@The Well Floured Kitchen says

    June 14, 2014 at 8:07 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 15, 2014 at 4:33 am

      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.

      Reply
  15. Samina | The Cupcake Confession says

    June 15, 2014 at 1:52 am

    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 *-*

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 15, 2014 at 4:35 am

      I didn’t knife and fork it either Samina! You and I could totally eat together! Hahaha! Have a great weekend!

      Reply
  16. Beth says

    June 15, 2014 at 5:33 am

    What a brilliant idea, to use a scoop for the meatballs! Love it.

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 15, 2014 at 10:00 am

      Thanks Beth! It works SO well – you should try it! Have a great Sunday!

      Reply
  17. Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says

    June 15, 2014 at 6:22 am

    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! 😀

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 15, 2014 at 10:01 am

      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!

      Reply
  18. Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says

    June 15, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    meatballs for breakfast?! I’m in!! these look good for any meal of the day!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 16, 2014 at 4:51 am

      Thanks Ashley – they were really tasty! And, they have sausage in them, so that sort of qualifies, right? 🙂

      Reply
  19. Chelsea @chelseasmessyapron says

    June 16, 2014 at 4:16 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      June 16, 2014 at 4:51 am

      It worked so well Chelsea – I as amazed myself! I had a great weekend. I hope you did too!

      Reply
  20. Rebecca says

    June 30, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      July 1, 2014 at 5:13 am

      I’ve never had vegetarian meatballs before, but they sound delicious!

      Reply
  21. Jenn @ A Toast to the Good Life says

    May 16, 2015 at 6:23 am

    oh YUM! I LOVE italian meatballs. These looks delicious. Definitely giving this recipe a try. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      May 18, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks Jenn! I’m a huge meatball fan too. Being married to an Italian, how could I not be? Haha!

      Reply
  22. allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says

    May 16, 2015 at 7:41 am

    Gorgeous Italian Meatballs, Kristi. I want these!!!! And then I want those leftovers in a meatball sub w/provolone!!! Yum.

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      May 18, 2015 at 4:09 pm

      Thanks Allie. That was one tasty sandwich. We loved it!

      Reply
  23. Jeff the Chef says

    May 22, 2015 at 1:58 pm

    That sub sandwich looks so delicious, I want one right now! And thanks for the spicy marinara recipe, because that looks good too.

    Reply
    • Kristi says

      May 25, 2015 at 6:52 am

      Thanks Jeff! Try it – I think you’ll love it!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
Hi, I'm Kristi. If you're here because you love food like I do, you're in for a treat! I want to entertain, inspire & encourage you to take risks in the kitchen. Come join me! Learn More →

Appetizers

Cherry Tomato Tapenade - inspirationkitchen.com
Baked Jamaican Jerk Dry Rub Chicken Wings - inspirationkitchen.com
Guacamole - inspirationkitchen.com
Carne Asada Street Tacos - inspirationkitchen.com

More Appetizers

Hi, I'm Kristi. Welcome to IK. Here you'll find delicious recipes, a little bit of comfort and a lot of inspiration for your table.

Popular Posts

2nd Anniversary Post | Inspiration Kitchen
Cascade Ice Review & Giveaway | Inspiration Kitchen
Applesauce Bars | Inspiration Kitchen
Healthy Mushroom Soup | Inspiration Kitchen
Candied Pecan Maple Ice Cream | Inspiration Kitchen

Copyright © 2023