Back to School Baked Turkey Meatball Subs

Back to school can be such a busy time of year with those crazy pick up and drop off lines at school, conflicting dismissal times, and of course, the start of fall sports.

While there is always a lot going on, that doesn’t mean dinner can wait.

This recipe for turkey meatball subs makes for an awesome option to fill up the family without spending too much time in the kitchen getting a meal underway.

This healthy and hearty dinner comes together in just about 25 minutes to make a meaty, cheesy sub that everyone will cheer for.

You can form the meatballs ahead of time to save a few moments if your afternoons are rushed, but this isn’t too complicated.

I am sure you will agree, this is the best way to make a meal that is both healthy and comforting, like meatball subs for an easy family meal.

Last week, the kids and I spent a day gathering supplies for the fast approaching school year. I prefer to bypass the Tax-free Weekend craze and get through the painful act of spending a small fortune without throwing elbows over a pack of glue sticks (If I have learned anything over the last four years it’s that no discount is worth venturing into a Walmart on tax-free weekend ). The thing about filling the new backpacks with supplies is that the price-tag attached to that teacher list is deceptive. How expensive can 15 glue sticks, 10 packs of Dixon Ticonderoga pencils, 4 packs of cap erasers, a few folders and a pair of gym shoes be? Pretty expensive. The pencils alone cost me $25. I don’t want to even talk about what I coughed up for a pair of boys’ gym shoes (which won’t fit come Christmas).

But even with the expense, the start of a new school year is exciting. The kids are fantasizing about what 4^th grade is really going to be like, while I try to remember how to program the coffee pot for a 6 AM start. The last playdates have been completed, bedtimes are now back to a reasonable hour, and the last days at the creek are upon us. Before long there will be early mornings and homework in the evenings, and getting back in the swing of things means that dinner will have to get to the table much faster. These meatball subs are a big hit with my crew and they come together in about 30 minutes and if you make the meatballs ahead of time, it will come together even faster.

Back to School Baked Turkey Meatball Subs

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Servings: 4 servings

Author: Two Lucky Spoons

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ small onion diced
• ½ green bell pepper diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 – 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 8 hot dog buns
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 35o degrees. In a large bowl combine the turkey, Parmesan, bread crumbs, egg onion powder, Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon salt and mix thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 2 inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs reach 170 degrees.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium high heat, heat a teaspoon of olive oil and add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. Cook until softened and stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Stir in the basil.
• Toast the hot dog buns in the hot oven until just starting to brown and place in a baking dish. Fill each bun with turkey meatballs, top with sauce and sprinkle each sandwich with shredded cheese. Turn the broiler on and place the dish of sandwiches 6 inches from the heat element. Broil just until cheese is melted and starts to brown, 2-3 minutes Serve and enjoy!

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