Game Day Meatball Sub Bites (Printable)

Savory mini meatballs with tangy marinara, mozzarella, and toasted bread on skewers for easy bites.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Meatballs

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
03 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
04 - 1 large egg
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ For Assembly

10 - 24 small cubes (1-inch) Italian or French bread
11 - 1 cup marinara sauce
12 - 24 mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini) or mozzarella cubes
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - 2 tbsp melted butter
15 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
17 - 24 wooden skewers or toothpicks

# Directions:

01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined; do not overwork.
03 - Shape mixture into 24 small meatballs (about 1 inch in diameter) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Bake meatballs for 15-18 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
05 - Toss bread cubes with olive oil and garlic powder. Arrange on a separate baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
06 - Warm marinara sauce in a small saucepan over low heat.
07 - Thread one toasted bread cube, one meatball, a mozzarella ball (or cube), and another bread cube onto each skewer.
08 - Arrange skewers on a serving platter. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve warm with extra marinara sauce for dipping.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything tastes better when its handheld and dippable
  • The bread-to-meatball-to-cheese ratio is basically engineering perfection
  • You can prep everything hours before guests arrive and just warm them through
02 -
  • Room temperature meatballs mix more evenly than cold ones straight from the fridge
  • Letting them rest five minutes after baking keeps the juices inside instead of on your baking sheet
  • Skewers can be assembled hours ahead, just add the final butter and basil before serving
03 -
  • Soak wooden skewers for 15 minutes to prevent burning if you decide to broil the assembled skewers for extra melty cheese
  • A mixture of half ground beef and half Italian sausage gives these a subtle fennel kick that people cannot quite identify but love

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