Hi, I’m back! James and I were on vacation last week so I neglected my poor little blog. I already miss the beauitful Caribbean, but it’s back to reality.

Anyway! As I mentioned in my previous post about meatball subs, the idea of meatball sandwiches is definitely a new idea for me. In the past, something about meatballs on bread just grossed me out – but I’m a changed woman! I used the meatball recipe from The Pioneer Woman, however I think next time I would use the meatballs I’ve tried previously. I think I like the crispier baked texture over the pan seared version. You can most definitely sub out your favorite homemade marinara sauce, but The Pioneer Woman said that it was ok to use jarred, so I took her advice.

I also decided to kick the bread up a notch by toasting it in the oven with a spread of butter and garlic powder and it was pretty good! I think using an actual garlic butter recipe may yield a better result, but I got the idea right before it was time to eat so I had to improvise. I also added in some fresh basil to the sauce (mostly because I had it), which is also a good compliment to marinara sauce. Topped with some goey Provolone cheese and this quick meal is an instant hit!

Mini Meatball Sliders
Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (the leaner the better)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
pepper, to taste
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 24-26 oz jar of marinara sauce
12 slider rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese, quartered

Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, pepper and milk in a large bowl with your hands. Roll into heaping Tbs sized rolls and set on a large plate.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add meatballs to the pan and brown for 1-2 minutes. Add marinara and loosen the meatballs if needed. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve meatballs on slider rolls with a small piece of Provolone cheese.

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman