Meatball subs are a dish made of a soft hoagie roll filled with meatballs topped with cheese.
Onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and other meats can also be added to the mix to enhance the flavor of this hearty sandwich.
The taste of the meatball sub is rooted in the delicious, savory sauce used to flavor the meatballs.
The best meatball subs are made with a sauce that has been allowed to simmer over low heat, allowing all of the flavors within it to meld together into a rich and hearty taste.
Meatball Subs have an herb-flavored meatball covered in marinara sauce.
The roll is cut in half; the halves are filled with meatballs and cheese before being baked until hot and bubbly.
A sandwich of this type would be served warm with a side dish of pasta or even some French fries on the side.
Another good option, depending on what is available at the time, would be potato salad or coleslaw.
In this article, we will list some recipes that you can use to serve with your meatball subs.
We have selected seven options for this list, all of which are easy to make and will round out the meal nicely.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Meatball Subs?
The meatball sub is a dish that has become popular in many parts of the United States, especially where there are large concentrations of Italian immigrants.
The flavors of the sauce used to flavor these tasty sandwiches go perfectly with cold drinks on hot days and, when served with potato salad or another side dish, also make for an excellent meal.
Although meatball subs appear to be simple sandwiches, they are versatile and lend themselves nicely to pairing with various side dishes.
The best types of side dishes to pair with meatball sandwiches will complement the flavor of the sandwich without overwhelming it.
The key to this is to use ingredients that are both mild in flavor and complementary to the taste of the main ingredients within the sandwich.
What to Serve with Meatball Subs? 7 BEST Side Dishes
So, let’s take a look at some of the best dishes to serve with meatball subs.
1 – Creamy Italian Coleslaw
This is a very popular side dish, especially when served with meatballs in marinara sauce.
The creaminess of the dressing provides just enough texture to help enhance the taste of the meatballs within the sandwich.
However, this dish also offers a unique flavor that can stand on its own when served with many sandwiches.
This dish typically consists of shredded cabbage and carrots mixed with a creamy dressing made from mayonnaise, sour cream, and Italian salad dressing.
It is not difficult to make and only requires a food processor or mandolin to shred the cabbage and carrots.
Then, it has to be mixed with the other ingredients and allowed to sit in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.
2 – Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
For those who love creamy mashed potatoes, this recipe is one of the best side dishes to serve, along with meatball subs.
The rich potato flavor pairs well with the sauce used on the meatballs while also complementing the taste of onions and roasted garlic that is found in the sauce.
This dish is very easy to make and only requires a food processor or blender to flavor the potatoes with onions and garlic before mashing them into creamy submission.
Milk, chicken broth, butter, salt, pepper, chopped chives, roasted garlic cloves are all ingredients that are necessary for making this dish.
However, if you want to keep the fat content low, you can substitute the butter with olive oil.
3 – Baked Beans
This dish is perfect for serving meatball subs because it pairs well with Italian-style sandwiches and barbecued pulled pork.
The beans are flavored with brown mustard, molasses, and spices, creating a flavor that marries perfectly with the warm sauce used on the sandwich.
Although this dish is usually prepared in large batches and then baked in the oven for several hours, this version is made using a slow cooker without any pre-boiling.
That way, it only takes about 45 minutes of cooking time before you can serve this dish with your favorite sandwich.
4 – Baked Potato Wedges
This is another great side dish to serve with meatball sandwiches because it complements the sauce and the sandwich filling.
Although these wedges are not challenging to make, they require that you pre-bake them in the oven before browning them in a skillet.
The potatoes should be cut into wedges and baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Then, they should be removed from the oven and allowed to cool slightly before being fried in a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for five minutes per side.
Finally, the potatoes are sprinkled with rosemary and sea salt before browning them in an oven or toaster oven for five more minutes at 350 degrees.
5 – Tossed Green Salad with Italian Dressing
This is a great side dish to serve with any Italian-style sandwich, including those that contain meatballs.
The flavors and textures of the salad and dressing complement both the taste and texture of meatballs within a sandwich.
And, because this dish doesn’t require any cooking, it is an excellent addition to any picnic or outdoor barbecue that may be taking place.
The salad is a simple green salad made using romaine lettuce and topped with chopped peppers, cherry tomatoes, sliced olives, and pepperoncini peppers for an extra kick of flavor.
Finally, the dressing is a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley flakes, and thyme.
6 – Caesar Salad
This salad is perfect for pairing with any meatball sandwich because the dressing drizzled over it complements both the Italian-style sauce and the sandwich filling.
However, even when made from scratch with a homemade dressing, this recipe only takes about ten minutes to complete from start to finish.
The salad is prepared by seasoning romaine lettuce with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder before adding the dressing.
The creamy dressing is a simple mayonnaise, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.
Finally, the salad is topped with croutons that have been made from cubes of Italian bread that have been drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, parsley flakes, and dried oregano.
7 – Tomato Soup
This soup is perfect for serving with Italian-style sandwiches and subs, including those containing meatballs.
The combination of the tomato soup and the sandwich flavors, such as garlic and oregano, complement each other perfectly without overwhelming any ingredient in either dish.
The best part about this recipe is that it doesn’t require much work or many ingredients, making it the perfect option for a quick dinner any night of the week.
Add the tomatoes, broth, and seasonings to a large stockpot and simmer for ten minutes before blending everything with an immersion blender.
The soup is seasoned with onion powder, sea salt, pepper, granulated garlic, oregano, and basil before being topped with bacon crumbles and shredded cheese.
Finally, it is served alongside warm breadsticks that have been drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil for a delicious, comforting meal that is perfect for any time of year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, meatball subs are the perfect comfort food for any occasion, especially those that involve outdoor activities like barbecuing or picnics.
They are easy to make and even easier to eat – but they can be made even better with savory side dishes like these seven options.
Which of these sides would you serve with your following meatball sub? Which other side dishes would you recommend pairing meatball subs with? Let us know in the comments below.
What to Serve with Meatball Subs? 7 BEST Side Dishes
Ingredients
- Creamy Italian Coleslaw
- Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
- Baked Beans
- Baked Potato Wedges
- Tossed Green Salad with Italian Dressing
- Caesar Salad
- Tomato Soup
Instructions
- Choose your favorite recipe from the list of options.
- Organize all required ingredients and prepare a delicious meal in 30 minutes or less!
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