lightened up meatball subs

We had a favorite of James's the other day... Meatball Subs, or as he calls them, Meatball Bombers. We almost always use lean and extra lean ground beef, and often also substitute the ground beef with all-white meat ground turkey. The one trick with using extra lean meats is making up for the flavor and moistness. I've been tweaking my turkey meatball recipe little by little for a while, and I finally got it exactly the way I wanted!

I like to use minimal ingredients in many of my recipes. You might think this will result in a plain or bland meal, but when you use quality ingredients it really allows those flavors to shine.

turkey meatball subs

Servings: 4

1 lb. all white-meat ground turkey
1 egg
2 tbsp homemade pesto
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper
2 c. marinara sauce: I use Trader Joe's Organic Marinara
A pinch of red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy!
2 baguettes: I buy them from Jimmy John's - only $0.49 for day-old!
2 handfuls of part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

• Combine ground turkey, egg, pesto, panko, parmesan, salt and pepper.
• Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Form into 1-inch balls. Flatten slightly so the meatballs will stay on your sandwich better.
• Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, flipping halfway through. 
• Heat marinara over low heat in a medium sauce pan with red pepper flakes. Place meatballs in marinara. 
• Slice baguettes open and sprinkle them with mozzarella cheese. Broil to melt cheese.
• Top baguettes with 3 to 4 meatballs. Enjoy!