Family-Favorite Meatball Subs in the Slow Cooker

Recipe

These meatball subs made in the slow cooker are the perfect recipe for families who want a ready-made meal on the table with minimal effort.

If the thought of making homemade meatballs is a daunting one, keep on reading because this crockpot meatball sub recipe is a keeper. It doesn’t require baking, transferring, dumping, or frying. It's a stress-free and busy-mom dream recipe!

three large meatballs on a sub with red sauce and cheese

Crockpot Meatball Sub Recipe

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

My family loves meatballs, and I have a baked-meatball recipe that’s been a hit for years. Now, for weeknights when I need dinner ready with minimal effort, this crockpot meatball sub recipe is second to none. Plus, leftovers make awesome lunches the next day.

Ingredients

To make the meatballs, you’ll need ground turkey or lean ground beef, bread crumbs, and eggs to help everything stick together. For flavor, add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and Parmesan cheese. The sauce is made with onion, diced tomatoes, and your favorite jarred tomato-based pasta sauce. Finally, add shredded mozzarella cheese and serve on hoagie sub bread rolls.

How to Make Meatball Subs in the Slow Cooker

Prepare the meatballs.
Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, eggs, and seasonings in a large bowl. Once the mixture is cohesive, roll it into 16 golf-sized meatballs.
Set to cook.
Stack the meatballs in an even layer with chopped onion, and top them with the tomatoes and pasta sauce. Cook for 3-6 hours.
Assemble.
Sprinkle a little cheese on the bottom of each sliced hoagie roll, and top with 3 or 4 meatballs and some sauce. Sprinkle additional cheese and enjoy.

Laura’s Tips for Meal Prep Crockpot Meatball Sub

Make them ahead

Place the meatballs inside the slow cooker with the other ingredients as noted in the recipe and then refrigerate overnight covered with plastic wrap. In the morning, remove the bowl of the slow cooker from the refrigerator, place it inside the crockpot, and set it to cook.

Doubling and tripling the recipe

You can freeze these uncooked on a lined sheet pan, and once frozen, transfer them to a zip bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready for fresh meatballs, take as many as you need out of the freezer, put them in the slow cooker with sauce, and you’re ready to go.

How to store leftovers

Once cooled, you can store leftover meatballs in an airtight container or zip bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze them with sauce for up to 3 months.

Avoiding Soggy Buns

Make a cheese layer: instead of topping the subs with all the cheese, spread some under the meatballs. With the heat, the melty layer will also make a barrier between the cheese and the bread. You can also use sliced cheese.
Toast the subs: a toasty bread top layer will help retain the integrity of the bun by preventing the meatball sauce from seeping down.
Serve immediately: don’t let the assembled subs sit out longer than necessary since this gives the bread time to soak up the sauce.

Always See My Recipes In Google

Slow Cooker Meatball Subs

closeup of three large meatballs on a sub topped with cheese

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 3

Total Time: 3 10

These meatball subs made in the slow cooker are the perfect recipe for families who want a ready-made meal on the table with minimal effort.

5 from 16 votes

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Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
½ cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
14- ounce jar of petite diced tomatoes
24- ounce jar pasta sauce, or homemade
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 hoagie sub bread rolls
Chopped parsley, optional

Instructions

Prep:

Spread the onion evenly onto the bottom of the slow cooker dish.
In a large bowl, mix the ground meat with bread crumbs, egg, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese.
Use your hands to roll the mixture into golf-sized balls (about 2 tablespoons per meatball) and layer them evenly inside the slow cooker dish. Pour the can of tomatoes and pasta sauce over the meatballs.

Cook:

Cover the dish with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

Serve:

To serve, slice or fold open each hoagie roll, sprinkle a little cheese at the bottom, and top with meatballs and some sauce. Sprinkle additional cheese and enjoy.