Meatball sub sandwich with honey mustard onions
This meatball sub is the mother of all sandwiches! It’s the perfect meal when you’re craving a ribsticking bite.
Ingredients
Meatball subs with honey mustard onions
- 3 large onions
- 40 g butter
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons liquid honey
- 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- ½ cup barbecue sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 1 batch precooked meatballs (see recipe below)
- 6 ciabatta or sourdough bread rolls
- tasty cheese grated to serve (optional)
Basic meatballs
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 500 g premium beef mince
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon beef stock powder
- 1 tablespoon herbs freshly chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 2-3 tablespoons rice bran oil for frying
Instructions
Basic meatballs
- Combine breadcrumbs and milk and leave to swell.
- Lightly beat the egg until liquid.
- Combine the mince, onion and garlic and mix well.
- Add the breadcrumb mix and beaten egg to the mince. Add the stock powder and chopped fresh herbs. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Roll mixture into even-sized balls (makes about 24). Cover and chill until ready to cook.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Cook meatballs on all sides over a medium-low heat until cooked through and golden brown. You may have to do this in batches.
Meatballs sub with honey mustard onions
- Slice the onions in half and remove the skin, then slice into half rounds.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the sliced onions and cook for 4-5 minutes over a medium-high heat until soft and fragrant.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce.
- Add the honey, mustard and caraway seeds and stir well. Add the barbecue sauce and water and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cooked meatballs to the sauce and heat through.
- Serve the saucy meatballs in fresh ciabatta or sourdough rolls and top with grated tasty cheese if desired.
Notes
The key to making these sandwiches sing is the Homemade Beef Meatballs. They’re super easy to whip up, so don’t get put off at the thought of having to slave away rolling them from scratch.
The other component is the sticky, caramelised honey mustard onions. They are mouthwateringly sweet with a tang of balsamic to help cut through the richness.
Serve your subs topped with cheese (if you like) next time you’ve got a few mouths to feed. Think a relaxed dinner party, movie night or when you have people over to watch the big game.
Add a salad like my Kumara, Bacon, Walnut and Orange Salad to the spread if you’re keen to keep up with your 5+a day.
This recipe is from the June/July issue of NADIA magazine.
Photography by: Vanessa Lewis.