Italian Meatball Sandwich Casserole Recipe

I understand that some people may not like it when reviewers share all the changes they made to a recipe, but I believe that sharing ideas can inspire others to get creative in the kitchen. Here are the tweaks I made to this meatball sub recipe that turned out fantastic: 1. Instead of using beef, I opted for ground chicken for my meatballs, which only needed 15 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. I made sure to lightly spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. I also mixed minced garlic into the chicken mixture. 2. Following another reviewer's advice, I skipped the mayo and used a ricotta and cream cheese mixture instead. Let me tell you, this combination was so delicious that it could have doubled as a luxurious body lotion! 3. The most significant change I made was with the bread. I bought a round Italian loaf, removed the top like a Subway sandwich artist, and hollowed out most of the fluffy inside to create a bread bowl. I spread the ricotta cheese mixture on the bottom and sides of the bowl, adding some to the underside of the lid. This shortcut saved time compared to spreading the mixture on individual bread cubes, which would have surely ended up in my mouth! I layered the cheese, chicken balls, and baked it for 25 minutes without the lid and then 5-10 more minutes with the lid on. To serve, simply slice it up. My "boys" (my fiancé and his friend) couldn't stop raving about it for hours, and they are quite picky eaters!

I've made this recipe several times and it's always a hit. I like to go big on the meatballs, using a mixture of hamburger and hot Italian sausage. Instead of cubing the bread, I find it easier to slice it into rounds. I may whip up a quick marinara if I have time, but jarred sauce works just as well. The best part is that this dish makes plenty of leftovers, but they never last long in my house!

Great recipe! I made a few modifications: 1) I swapped mayo for ricotta, 2) added dried minced onions and extra Italian seasoning to the cream cheese/ricotta mixture, 3) toasted and halved the bread before spreading the cheese mixture on it, 4) excluded the water and added more Italian seasoning to the sauce, 5) heated frozen meatballs, sliced them, and placed them on top of the bread and cheeses, 6) sprinkled additional mozzarella on the meatballs and topped them with the sauce. My family really enjoyed it!

Substituted ricotta for cream cheese, replaced mayonnaise with beaten egg, and added 1/4 cup of water to the beaten egg.

This recipe is fantastic! I suggest using Ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese and mayo for a delightful twist. The combination of Ricotta and Mozzarella is absolutely delicious. Rather than coating the bread cubes, consider spreading the cheese mixture generously over the bread halves, including the sides. Pour the sauce mixture over them and top it off with the remaining cheese mixture. After cooking, you can easily cut each serving. This is hands down the best recipe I've come across for an Italian Meatball Sandwich! It ranks even higher than pizza, which is saying a lot as I am a huge pizza fan. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It's definitely going into my cookbook as a favorite!

After hearing so many mixed reviews, I decided to give this recipe a shot with a few modifications. My family loves meatball sandwiches, so I thought, why not? But the end result? I definitely won't be making this again. The flavor wasn't terrible, but the bread turned out disappointingly soggy. Here are the changes I made based on others' feedback: 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). 2. For the meatballs, I mixed together onions, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and ground beef. I rolled them into 1-inch balls and baked at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until no longer pink. 3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). 4. I toasted ripped up baguette cubes in the oven at 385°F for 10 minutes to crisp them up before layering in the baking dish. 5. Instead of the cream cheese and mayonnaise, I used 8 oz of ricotta cheese mixed with Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. I dolloped this mixture over the bread cubes. 6. Sprinkled 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella cheese over the top. 7. In a bowl, I mixed together spaghetti sauce, garlic, and skipped the water. Gently added the homemade meatballs and poured over the bread and cheese mixture. Sprinkled the remaining mozzarella on top. 8. Baked at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes or until heated through. Even with these adjustments and my homemade meatballs, the dish still fell short.

Great experience! The only modification I made was omitting the warm cheese since my mom isn't a fan of it, so I added extra shredded mozzarella instead. I stuck to the rest of the recipe as is. Thank you for sharing!

An excellent recipe! I would suggest using Ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese and mayo - the combination of Ricotta and Mozzarella is absolutely fantastic. Rather than coating the bread cubes, consider spreading the cheese mixture generously over the bread halves, including the sides, then pouring the sauce mixture over them and topping off with the remaining cheese mixture. After cooking, you can easily cut each serving. This is by far the best recipe I've come across for an Italian Meatball Sandwich! It ranks right up there with homemade Lasagna, my all-time favorite Italian dish, even ahead of Pizza - and I love my pizza! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It's definitely going into my cookbook as a favorite!

I was truly impressed by this recipe! Be sure to thoroughly coat the bread, including the sides, with the cheese mixture to avoid any sogginess.