Ingredients
Meatballs
3 large Eggs
2 lbs Lean ground beef
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup Fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Milk
3/4 cup Beef broth
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp Dried basil
1 tbsp Dried oregano
1 tbsp Garlic, minced or pressed
2 cups Beef broth, for pan
Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 1/2 cups Onion, chopped
1 28 oz Can whole peeled tomatoes or crushed
2 14.5 oz Cans fire roasted tomatoes
Reserved juice from meatball pan
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Boats
6 Hoagie rolls
12 Thick slices of mozzarella cheese
Fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 425°
Add your eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat slightly.
Put the rest of the ingredients in the bowl and mix well with your hands until everything is combined. Try not to over mix.
Lightly spray a large cookie sheet, you might need two, with cooking spray. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out meat mixture and form into a meatballs placing each one onto the sprayed cookie sheet.
Cover the bottom of the cookie sheets with 2 cups of beef broth.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
Tomato Sauce
Saute onions in the olive until they begin to brown.
Add in the garlic until it becomes fragrant, 30 seconds.
Add in the tomatoes, if using whole, hand crush them. Then add in the pan juice, parsley, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, and salt.
Simmer 15 minutes.
Add the meatballs and warm through, 10 minutes.
Boats
Preheat oven to 450°
Take a hoagie roll and cut around the top with a serrated knife.
Pull the top off and tear out the middle to make a boat. Discard the bread or save it for another purpose such as bread crumbs.
Take 2 thick slices of mozzarella cheese and place in the bottom of the boat. Brush the rest of the exposed bread inside with olive oil.
Bake until cheese melts.
Place 3 meatballs into each boat and then top with sauce and sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan cheese.