Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sandwiches is the handheld comfort food you need to make. It’s so perfect for a gathering! Chicken parmesan is the Italian comfort dish that I love to make, but this seemed like a fun twist on a classic dish. After all, who doesn’t love a good meatball sandwich?
So easy to prepare and takes 40 minutes to put together. Juicy little chicken meatballs are made up of parmesan, chopped parsley, panko, egg and stuffed with mozzarella pearls. Baked to golden perfection and topped with a quick homemade marinara sauce. Serve on toasty buttery rolls with an extra sprinkling of shaved parmesan.
Chicken parm usually consists of gooey melty mozzarella on top, but these meatballs are stuffed with it. I use pearl mozzarella, so I usually use about 3-4 each per meatball. You can find bigger mozzarella balls to stuff with.
This easy marinara sauce is one I use all the time. I typically always have a big can of crushed tomatoes in my pantry for a recipe such as this. My favorite brand to use is Cento.
If you have extra sauce you can always toss with a little pasta and have yourself a delicious second meal!
Wine Pairing Recommendation: Serve these tasty sandwiches with a glass of Italian Chianti.
Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Chicken
- 1/2 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 whole Egg
- 1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
- 4 ounces Pearl Mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 whole Onion, chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flake
- 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 1 can {28 ounces} Crushed Tomatoes
- 4 whole Hoagie Rolls, split and toasted
- Parmesan, shaved for garnish
- Parsley, chopped for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Step 2 Spray a large sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl add ground chicken, panko breadcrumbs, egg, parsley and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Mix until combined. Form mixture into 12 equal palm sized balls and create a divot in the middle with your thumb. Stuff with pearl mozzarella balls and form meatball around the mozzarella making sure to cover the mozzarella completely. Space meatballs evenly on the greased sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- Step 3 Meanwhile, prepare sauce, heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and saute until tender and slightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flake. Stir to combine and cook slightly until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock and stir to combine. Stir in crushed tomatoes. Adjust seasoning with a pinch or two of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer on low for the remainder of the meatballs cooking time.
- Step 4 Remove meatballs and place in pan with sauce. Toss in sauce and assemble your sandwiches. Spoon 3 meatballs into each toasted roll and spoon sauce over top. Garnish with shaved parmesan and chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Savor and Enjoy!
