Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs

Have you ever made the mistake of trying to do too many things in the kitchen at once?  For example, maybe you're silly enough to attempt making two or more blog-worthy recipes at one time?  Have you done this before?  It's insanity.  Hell, it's double-insanity, right?  You're standing in the kitchen with two different cookbooks laid out, following two different recipes, prepping two separate recipes, pots and pans and ingredients everywhere (including the floor), everyone is screaming that they are starving, it's hot as hell, and the pressure of trying to take multiple pictures of both recipes is enough to make you want to run and cry.  Oh, and just to add to the chaos, you remember that your son can't eat what you're making for dinner because he's allergic to it....you'll have to make him something else entirely.  Any of that sound familiar?

So, don't let the pictures of this ordinary-looking meatball sub fool you.  In my highly panicked state of frenzy I forgot to take pictures of the money shot, which would be the gooey mozzarella cheese oozing out of the meatballs. Yes, not only are these meatballs ginormous, but they are made with hot italian sausage, and they are stuffed with cubes of mozzarella.  This sub is like the King of Meatball Subs!

Stuffed Hot Sausage Meatball Subs
Adapted from Rachel Ray's Look + Cook
Serves 4, or 8 (depends on who's eating)

2 pounds bulk Italian hot sausage
1 pound smoked mozzarella, cut into 12 cubes 
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup pitted kalamata black olives, chopped
1/4 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can Italian crushed tomatoes
salt and black pepper
4 crusty sub rolls, ciabatta bread, or individual ciabatta rolls, 7-8 inches long
a handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or shredded
freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Arrange a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet.  Dip your hands in warm water to prevent sticking.  Separate the 2pounds of sausage into 4 equal portions.  Each portion should form 3 meatballs.  Nest a cube of smoked mozzarella into the center of each meatball.  Coat the meatballs with EVOO and roast on the rack above the baking sheet until firm and cooked through, about 18 minutes.  While the meatballs cook, heat the tablespoon of EVOO in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic, ad cook until tender, 5-6 minutes.  Then stir in the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and canned crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a simmer.  Take out the meatballs, turn off the oven, and crisp the rolls for a minute.  Split the rolls and fill each with 3 meatballs.  Top with some sauce, basil, and cheese and serve.

Notes/Results:  This is definitely a manly sub sandwich.  When my husband came into the kitchen and saw the nearly palm-sized meatballs sitting on the counter with the melting cheese oozing out he became rather excited.  What we both liked about this recipe is that the meatballs are made with hot italian sausage, which is quite a change from the normal beef meatball.  We are a family of cheese lovers, so we really loved that the meatballs were stuffed with cheese and then topped with even more cheese.  If you decide to make this, don't forget the fresh basil.  The fresh slivers of basil really helped add lots of fresh flavor to the sandwich.  A spicy, cheesy, gooey sandwich with lots of flavor!
Every Sunday @ Kahakai Kitchen

Thanks to Brenda of Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for another great recipe from Rachel Ray's Look + Cook!  My pick for August is going to be Rachel's Chinese Orange-Barbecue Cashew Chicken.

18 comments:

  1. You have me laughing over the kitchen chaos. Some of it does sound pretty darn familiar!

    When you wrote about having two cookbooks open, following two different recipes, I thought about that Friends episode when Rachel makes a trifle, but turns to a shepherd's pie recipe partway through making it. Sounds like you were able to keep your recipes straight though!

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  2. Oooh...mozerella stuffed meat balls, sounds awesome!

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  3. Oooh, I'm so excited to make this this weekend Kim! It looks SO good. And thanks for the laugh this morning. I can't say I've ever tried making two recipes at once, but now I know I never will, lol. LOVE Orange Chicken - looking forward to August!

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  4. Been there, done that more times than I would like to admit Kim. Nice to know it happens to other people too. LOL

    Your meatball sub looks delish.
    Sam

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  5. Darn it! I hate it when I forget to get the money shot, too :) In answer to your question, YES! But even worse than trying to make blog worthy recipes is THINKING that your recipe is blog worthy, take the shots, do the write up and then eat the product and realize that you were wrong. its not blog worthy at all :( This meatball however IS totally blogworthy, and I need to make them soon! My meat loving hubby would go crazy for these :)

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  6. I did that once , well...I have tried preparing multiple recipes several times but this ONE Time...totaly disaster! I was making a dinner meal and a dessert when chopped onions ended up dumped into a cake batter. Yeaaaahhh...that was a wash.

    Good job on the photos - I'd say you got a money shot :-)

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  7. I have those moments and...I don't even have kids. So you totally rock. Oozing cheese? Those words alone make me drool!

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  8. Holy shite that looks awesome! I can just imagine the cheese oozing out. I want one.

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  9. Oooh, I love the mozz in the meatballs . . . . seriously you must be Italian, Kim! Passing through Kentucky this weekend on the way back to the midwest; I'll blow you a kiss wherever you live! Can't wait to drive by those beautiful Kentucky horse farms!

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  10. Italian sausage meatball subs with mozzarella oozing out of it... kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes - it was worth it. I can taste it. Now would like to know what else you were making...

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  11. Having plenty of those crazy kitchen moments myself--I can't imagine doing it with hungry kids watching me and allergies to deal with too. You are amazing and so is this sandwich. ;-)

    Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays.

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  12. Your shot of the meatball sub is great, though being a cheeseaholic myself, I understand why you'd want the one with the ooey-gooey mozzarella. Ina has a recipe for sausage meatballs for wedding soup that I've made. Why I've never thought to just make them bigger. Well, I sure will now.

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  13. The king of meatball subs - Elijah would absolutely love it! Looks decadent and delicious.

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  14. Like your husband I am pretty darn excited over these! I was just telling Brenda that they beat the pants off any other meatball sub. And yes, I feel your pain with the pictures and all the cooking. Since I share a kitchen with my Mom I tend to cook more than one thing at a time. It leads to chaos and lots of dishes.

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  15. Saw this over at Brenda's and just KNEW I was going to have to make this soon. I just copied it into my BigOven software. Looks great Kim, I can't wait to have it.

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  16. That is one fantastic looking sandwich, and it would go over really big in my house!

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  17. I have copied this recipe. My family would enjoy this type of sub.

    I have chaos in the kitchen all the time. I think it is just part of the cooking experience with the additional burden of blogging too.

    Cheers.
    Velva

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  18. I was chuckling while reading this post about kitchen chaos, Kim! I've been absent from commenting due to trying to escape chaos and just 'being' while visiting Iowa family. Flying home to SC today to return to my own personal version of chaos . . . but, hey, that's life, huh? I LOVE these meatball sandwiches and could eat several!

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