Chicken Parm Meatball Subs- By Rachael Ray

I came across this recipe and it looked delicious! It had 5 stars and tons of reviews so I decided to make it. We LOVED it!! It's one of my husbands new favorite dinners now! Thank you Rachael Ray!! The only thing I did different than her recipe was to add half the chicken stock that it calls for since reviews have said this makes the sauce better.  Click here to go to Rachaels site. For some reason this recipe is too long so scroll down for more directions and pictures.

Ingredients

• *1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 
• *1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
• *1 large egg
• *1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• *1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (I only had plain on hand so I added italian seasonings to them)
• *Handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves
• *Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus, plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
• *2 large cloves garlic, cracked from skin and split
• *1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, a healthy couple of pinches
• *1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano) (I couldn't find San Marzano style in the crushed so i got San Marzano whole tomatoes and took a smasher and crushed them myself)
• *1 cup chicken stock (I used 4 oz)
• *Salt
• *Pepper
• *8 to 10 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded
• *4 (6 to 8-inch) crusty sub rolls
• *1 1/2 cups shredded provolone

• Directions

  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  Place chicken in a bowl and season with grill seasoning. Add egg, half of the grated cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a serious drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. The flattened balls will stay put on your sub, no roll-aways! Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.

  While the meatballs bake, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and cook 5 minutes then remove the cloves. Add crushed red pepper flakes then tomatoes and stir in the chicken stock. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and simmer 10 minutes, adjust seasonings and stir in the basil. Reserve a extra sauce for dipping on dinner table.

  Remove the meat from oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Turn meat balls in sauce.

  Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Combine the provolone and remaining Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.
  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

  (I made double the recipe, therefor making more meatballs than 12)

  
  
  

  

  saute garlic in olive oil. Then remove cloves before adding red pepper flakes,tomatoes and chicken stock.

  
  
  

  

  Simmer sauce and then add fresh basil

  
  
  

  

  After meatballs are done cooking, I simmered in sauce another 5 minutes and I added some extra shredded cheese directly to the pan.

  
  
  

  

  cut rolls, take a little of the bread out of the bottoms.

  
  
  

  

  place meatballs on bottom and cheese on tops. Put under broiler till cheese is melted and bun is toasted.

  
  
  

  

  serve with extra sauce on side for dipping

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  We served this with artichokes as a side. Would also be good with pasta, side salad or spaghetti squash!