This crunchy, cheesy snack recipe is bound to win oohs and aahs at your next football party. Cutting the meaty open-face sandwich into two-inch pieces makes it fun and easy to eat, and your guests can even dip it in extra sauce. Baking the meatball mixture and garlic bread together not only makes quick work of this easy sandwich, it also results in juicy, tender meat and the crispiest, crunchiest garlic bread ever. Because this combo needs to spend a while in a very hot oven, it’s important to use a bread with a soft crust, such as an Italian- or Portuguese-style loaf, rather than a crusty French baguette that would bake up too hard. If you can’t find one long loaf, feel free to substitute two 9-inch sub or hoagie rolls.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 7 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- One 24-inch loaf Italian- or Portuguese-style soft bread, about 10 ounces, or two 9-inch sub rolls
- Two 10-ounce packages thinly sliced provolone
- One 32-ounce jar marinara sauce, warmed
Instructions
- Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the butter, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, half of the parsley, half of the oregano, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a food processor. Grate in 5 cloves of garlic and blend until the butter is smooth. Set the garlic butter aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and then grate in the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Scrape the onion mixture into a medium bowl and allow it to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. When cool, add the ground beef, egg, remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan, the remaining parsley, the remaining oregano, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Use your hands to work the mixture together. Set the meat aside.
- Split the bread in half lengthwise. Spread the garlic butter evenly over the inside of each half. Using a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop, drop balls of the meat mixture down the center on each of the bread halves. Use the back of the ice cream scoop to press and smooth the meat mixture, leaving at least a 1/4-inch border of bread visible around the edges. Cut the stuffed garlic breads in half crosswise so you have 4 pieces of filled bread. Arrange two pieces on each of the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the meat is cooked through and the garlic bread is golden brown and crispy around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the garlic bread from the oven. Shingle slices of provolone over the meat. Continue to bake until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, then dollop about 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce over each piece of stuffed garlic bread. Cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces and serve immediately with the remaining warm marinara sauce on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 485 |
| Total Fat | 34 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Protein | 31 g |
| Cholesterol | 115 mg |
| Sodium | 915 mg |