Chicken Meatball Parmesan Sub
Granted, I am a huge fan of both the iconic Chicken Parmesan Sub and the equally famous Meatball Parmesan Sub. However, if I could lighten up these dishes, I know for a fact, that I could enjoy them both more. For this reason, I came up with my Chicken Meatball Parmesan Sub. In addition, the combo of these two great Italian style favorites is a taste that I’m sure you will enjoy as well.
In the mix
By using ground chicken in place of the standard beef/pork/veal mixture for your meatballs and by swapping shaved Parmesan for the usual mozzarella cheese, you can indeed create a lightened up and super delicious meatball sub. It is also easy to prepare for a quick weeknight or any night meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan + 1 tbsp. Parmesan, shaved
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp. water
- salt & pepper
*Optional topping: arugula leaves dressed with a light vinaigrette.
Directions:
Start by preheating oven to 400° and then lightly coat a foil lined jelly roll pan with the oil.
Now, using a large bowl, just mix all remaining ingredients (except shaved Parmesan), until just combined. You want to be careful about over-mixing, because doing so can affect the texture of the meatball. With this in mind, just know that it is okay to see the little separate clusters of the breadcrumbs, cheese and the garlic and herbs.
A little secret
I want to share with you a little trick my grandmother taught me. Simply place a bit of olive oil in your palms and rub your hands together, do this before you start to roll the meat mixture into balls. This will help keep the meatballs moist.
Sizing it up
When I am using a ground beef, pork and veal mixture, I generally make my meatballs about the size of 1 ¾ – 2 inched in diameter. However, when I am making meatballs with ground chicken, I tend to make them smaller at approximately 1 inch in diameter. Seeing that by doing so, I can easily make this recipe do double duty. I just double the ingredients and split the amount of rolled meatballs. I also generally use one half for my Chicken Meatball Parmesan subs for one meal and save the other half to add to my Italian Wedding Soup, which calls for a smaller meatball. Win! Win!
“This mixture freezes well, so it’s always an added benefit to make extra meatballs and you can freeze them for later time, rolled and uncooked in a freezer storage container or bag.”
Next, I place the rolled balls in a single layer onto the jelly roll pan. Baking until browned and thoroughly cooked through. Approx. 15-18 minutes.
Once meatballs are cooked, just add to your favorite tomato sauce https://moppinaandwoodenspoon.com/2020/08/06/simple-tomato-sauce/ . With a ladle, scoop up meatballs with a generous amount of sauce and place onto a split roll. Top each chicken meatball sub with a small handful of arugula leaves, that have been dressed in a light vinaigrette, if desired and finally top with shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!
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