I am in love with these meatballs boats! These are perfect to serve guests and are super easy to make. Not only that, these taste awesome, but these meatball boats make a better presentation, too!
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1 pound ground beef
⅓ c. breadcrumbs
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 c. marinara sauce
12 slices provolone
½ c. shredded mozzarella
¼ c. shredded Parmesan
4 crusty Italian sandwich rolls
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
How to make Meatball Boats
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 375 degrees F. Using a nonstick spray, grease a baking sheet.
Meatballs:
Step 2: Place the ground beef with egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic, and parsley in a large bowl. Mix well until combined and season well with salt and pepper. Mix again until just combined. Then, shape the mixture into 12 evenly-sized meatballs.
Step 3: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear for about 4 minutes on all sides. Pour in the marinara sauce, gently toss, and put the lid on.
Step 4: Decrease the heat and let everything simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the meatballs are no longer pink and the internal temperature of the meatball reaches 160 degrees F.
Bread Boats:
Step 5: On top of the bread loaf, cut a long rectangle. To make a boat, hollow out the top of the hoagie roll.
Step 6: To cover the hollowed area, lay 3 slices of provolone on top of the rolls. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes until melted.
Step 7: On top of the cheese, place 4 meatballs in a row and spoon the marinara sauce over them. Then, sprinkle the mozzarella on top, followed by the Parmesan.
Step 8: Return to the oven and resume baking for another 6 to 8 minutes. If desired, you can broil the dish.
Notes:
For this recipe, you can also use Italian or French sandwich rolls.
For a bit of color and extra flavor, garnish the meatball boats with some chopped fresh basil.
For deeper meatball flavor, use half ground beef and half Italian Sausage.
You can use smaller rolls for a party platter. To make smaller boats, you can shape the meatballs smaller.