Cheesy Meatball Sub Dip

Many, many expletives were uttered and exclaimed as this was devoured. Guys, seriously…this is some damn good meatball sub dip. If you love bread like me and Oprah, you’re going to love scooping gooey globs of this cheesy, saucy, meaty glory. You wanna know how good this is? My fiancé ate it for dinner. Just this. Nothing else. But he’s also a savage, so there’s that. What was supposed to be an appetizer turned into “Babe, that’s all I want!”

I love everything about meatball subs, but I wanted to make something a little more fun to eat during game-day. Something everyone could enjoy from one vessel. This recipe is stupid easy to pull together, and adaptable in many ways to suit your dietary needs. I wanted this to be a very fast, fuss-free situation, so I’m using my favorite brand of jarred marinara sauce. I partnered up with them for this recipe over on my Instagram only, so this post isn’t sponsored.

How to Make Meatball Sub Dip

You want to make sure the meatballs are nice and small. Slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball. They’re going to cook very fast in a very hot oven, and finish as the whole dip bakes and bubbles. I recommend serving this meatball sub dip with toasty garlic bread. We even spread basil pesto over some slices of garlic bread and then toasted it, which was over-the-top delicious.

Again, this is some really effing good dip. I implore you to make it as fast as you can, and eat it even faster. Make sure you follow me on Instagram for exclusive recipes like this. I’m always cooking (or parenting) on my IG stories, so you might learn a thing or two. Enjoy!

Check out these other appetizers:

• Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Dip
• Jumbo Lump Crab Wontons

Cheesy Meatball Sub Dip

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Meatball sub in dip form! Hot, gooey, cheesy and crazy delicious meatball sub dip. You’re going to literally fall in love, I swear.

• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 30-33 meatballs 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce (use your favorite brand)
• 1 cup low-moisture whole milk mozzarella, shredded by hand (SEE NOTE)
• 1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano, grated (optional)

Meatballs

• 1 lb. 80/20 ground beef
• 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 small jalapeño, finely diced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano, grated
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup whole buttermilk
• 1/2 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon herbs de provence (optional)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Cheese Mixture

• 1 15-ounce container whole milk ricotta
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature (softened)
• 1/2 cup low-moisture whole milk mozzarella, shredded by hand (SEE NOTE)
• 1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino-romano, grated
• 1 large egg
• Big pinch kosher salt and black pepper

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, gently fold all meatball ingredients until evenly combined. Roll into small meatballs, about 3/4 the size of a ping-pong ball for reference. You should have at least 30 meatballs. Place each ball on the lined baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, fold all the cheese mixture ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Spread the cheese mixture all over the bottom of a baking dish at least 10-inches in diameter. I used this one.
4. When the meatballs are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. Place the meatballs on top of the cheese layer. Depending on how many you have and the size of your baking dish,  you may or may not have space between each ball. It really doesn’t matter how you do this part, just make sure they all fit somehow.
5. Pour the marinara sauce all over the meatball layer, making sure each ball is covered. Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmigiano/pecorino (if using) on top in an even layer. Place the baking dish on top of a large baking sheet to catch spills (if you want), or just place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack and let it melt and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling all over.
6. Let the dip cool at least 10 minutes, and serve with strips of garlic bread. Enjoy!

Notes

Always shred and grate your cheeses by hand. Or, allow the deli-counter folks at the store you buy your cheese from to do it for you. Don’t use pre-shredded bagged cheese, it doesn’t melt well and it tastes weird. Trust me.

• Author: Chef Resha
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 40
• Category: appetizers

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