These Easy Meatball Subs are a quick, kid-friendly weeknight dinner your family will love–and they’re ready in about 30 minutes!

Thanks to the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association for sponsoring this post!

Chaos is looming—in the form of practices, lessons, games, and extracurricular activities. Much to the chagrin of most kids (and the sweet relief of many parents), the school year is about to start. And it’s best to be prepared. That means having a handful of “shortcut home-cooked” dinners in your back pocket for weeknights.

What’s a “shortcut home-cooked” dinner? That’s a term I made up for a meal that relies on a key convenience item—and that item means the difference between me putting a healthy, homecooked meal on the table and me ordering pizza.

Frozen meatballs are that key item in these Easy Meatball Subs that preserve the home-cooked taste but save me serious time. Don’t get me wrong: I like making from-scratch meatballs. But that’s a project not fit for a standard Wednesday evening at 6:15 when my troops are hungry. And using frozen meatballs means I have time to make a (mostly) from-scratch sauce.

I used Rosina Italian Style Meatballs, which are a mix of beef, pork, and chicken. They come in a half-ounce size that’s just right for meatball subs.

How to make Easy Meatball Subs

In a medium skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil on medium heat for 15 seconds, then add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes and stir well; add salt and sugar and stir again until combined

Once the sauce is mixed together, add the frozen meatballs, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Then pile the saucy meatballs into buns (I put four meatballs in each bun for adults, three for my kids). Top with lots of shredded mozzarella cheese, and pop under the broiler for a minute or two until browned and bubbly. Dinner is done!

What kind of buns work best with these meatball subs?

Sub sandwich buns (called hoagie buns in some parts of the country!) work best with these sandwiches. You can also use slider buns and make meatball slides. In a pinch, use hotdog buns. No judgement here.

What can you serve with meatball subs?

I serve these meatball subs with big, crisp green salads.

Need more family-friendly dinners?

I’ve collected my best dinner recipes into a free e-cookbook, No-Fuss Family Dinners. Grab your free copy by clicking here.

I’m happy to be partnering with the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association this year because I couldn’t get by without the foods I find in the frozen and dairy aisles of the store. These foods make meal prep (and my life in general) a lot easier!

You can find more quick weeknight-ready recipes at Easy Home Meals. Here are three more recipe ideas using Rosina meatballs:

• Curry Meatballs
• Turkey Meatball Gyro
• Slow Cooker Sriracha Meatballs