Make A Copycat Subway Meatball Marinara Sub With Just 5 Ingredients

Subway's meatball marinara sub sandwich is a tried and true staple for hot sandwich lovers. Of course, you can pick up your piping hot meatball sub at one of the chain's 37,000 locations, but you could also make the sandwich from scratch. There's no need to be a professional sandwich artist or an experienced home cook to master this five-ingredient copycat meatball sub recipe. As Mashed recipe developer Susan Olayinka says, "This is such a classic recipe, and I used to get this all the time, but it's great to know that it can be made easily from home."

All you'll need for the recipe are store-bought frozen meatballs, sliced processed cheese, marinara sauce, and a hoagie roll of your choice. While any cheese can be used for meatball subs, processed cheese melts best. Although you could take the time to make your own, store-bought meatballs are not only quick, they'll taste more like Subway's version. The only cooking element that the recipe requires is frying the meatballs in a pan with oil (the fifth ingredient, for those counting).

One of the best parts of this recipe (aside from the flavor) is that it comes together in less than 20 minutes. All of the ingredients are store-bought, so cooking the meatballs, heating the sauce, and assembling the sandwich is all the prep work required. Once the sandwich is together, Susan Olayinka suggests eating it immediately, since the sub is best served hot. And while it's delicious and filling on its own, it wouldn't feel like a Subway meatball marinara sub sandwich meal without the sides. Olayinka suggests pairing the sandwich with "a piece of fruit, a packet of crisps, and a lovely drink on the side." 

Some Subway locations worldwide offer meatless meatballs for those who don't eat meat, so Olayinka shares that it's perfectly fine to substitute in your preferred vegetarian option, just make sure it has a firm texture. That firmness will more closely mimic the feel of a beef meatball.