Firehouse Meatball Sub Copycat (How To Make It At Home)

It is only right that we do a Firehouse Meatball Sub review before setting out to make a copycat recipe that you can make at home. Because, in my opinion, who has the best sub shop meatball sub? Firehouse Subs. Ok, I’ll admit it, I am a big fan of the meatball sub at Firehouse. When they decided to up the meatball sub wars with the Pepperoni Pizza Meatball sub, I was all in. Setting out to copycat a Firehouse meatball sub recipe was going to be filling, but someone has to do it!

After I tasted the sandwich, I knew then and there that I had to Throwdown against the Firehouse Meatball Sub and engineer a copycat pepperoni pizza meatball sub that was just as good and perhaps even better than the original. 

I’m going to work on several key things that excited me about the new limited edition Pepperoni Meatball Pizza Sub. The new sub is made with Italian meatballs, marinara sauce and double the provolone cheese. I am confident in my ability to find deli pepperoni and provolone cheese in the grocery store. However, to take down the Firehouse, I’ll have to work on perfecting the copycat recipes for the meatballs, the marinara sauce and a great tasting garlic bread roll.

Firehouse Meatball Sub Review

First, the Firehouse in Owings Mills is decorated in the fashion of all the other shops. There is a great mural on the wall and the inside of the shop is clean and sparkling. My first impression is good, so we are off to a great start.

As I walk in the doors I am greeted with a resounding “welcome to firehouse!” The welcome makes me smile, even though I am a little more self-conscious than when I walked in because I have my camera out, and I am going to try to record the making of the meatball sub.

I’m trying the new Pepperoni Meatball Pizza Sub and I guess this is Firehouse’s attempt to muscle into a share of the billion dollar pizza market. The sub is listed as a limited time offering, but we’ll see about that. 

Unboxing: Firehouse Meatball Sub Review

Opening up the eco-friendly sub box, I am immediately struck by the crispy pepperoni on top of the sub that has been sprinkled with Italian seasoning. The same kind of seasoning you might find in a pizza parlor shaker. A little Parmesan here might have been nice.

I am already a fan of  the Firehouse sub meatball sub, so no surprise there. However, the meatballs marinara and double layer of provolone are piled on top of a garlic bread sub roll and the smell is amazing. I cannot wait to dig in. The smell and the look of this meatball sub is amazing. 

The sub is cut in half, and it looks like a few napkins are in order. Luckily, I keep a supply of paper towels in the car and a few plastic knives and forks.

Digging In: Firehouse Meatball Sub Review

It’s a two handed bite for me and the sub tastes as good as it looks! The garlic bread here is a winner, with just the right amount of sub roll  to meatball ratio. 

For the record, this is not a pizza. I love pizza of all kinds and I enjoy thick crust pies too. The Firehouse Pepperoni Pizza Meatball Sub is all sub. So, forget any pizza comparison and focus on the meatball sub topped with provolone and pepperoni. It’s genius and I loved it. 

The sub roll was toasty perfection with just the right amount of garlic butter spread. The meatballs were flavorful, and I could taste the Italian seasonings with some fennel, garlic and red pepper coming through. I liked the choice of provolone on top instead of mozzarella. The provolone gave the meatball sub an extra sharpness that I wasn’t expecting. 

What is Firehouse Subs Known For

However, the kicker on this meatball sub are the crispy deli pepperoni slices on top. Firehouse Subs are known for not skimping on fillings and premium ingredients. This meatball sub is no exception with plenty of thinly sliced pepperoni slices on top. I like the fact that they used deli sliced pepperoni instead of little cups of pepperoni slices. Another grounding of the fact that this is a sub sandwich and not a pizza slice.

What Is The Best Sub At Firehouse Subs

While the Hook and Ladder sub has been popularized as the best sub at Firehouse Subs, lately the most popular menu item is the Smoke House Beef and Cheddar Brisket. The sub is served hot and is made with beef brisket that has been smoked for 16 hours and is topped with melted cheddar cheese, Duke’s mayonnaise and Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce.

Other subs from Firehouse that are very popular are:

The Italian

The Italian sub at Firehouse Subs is like most traditional Jersey subs. Featuring thinly sliced Genoa salami, deli sliced pepperoni, Virginia style honey ham, provolone cheese and an Italian style sandwich dressing of oil, vinegar and Italian spices.

The Hook and Ladder

The Hook and Ladder sub, a perennial favorite, is loaded up with smoked turkey, Virginia honey ham and Monterey Jack cheese. This sandwich is best served hot and melted and then done “fully involved” with lettuce, tomato, onion, spicy mustard and mayonnaise.

Monterey Jack Cheese is a mild cheese and a good melting cheese for sandwiches. It has a sweet earthy flavor that is slightly stronger than mozzarella cheese. Nice change for the Hook and ladder sub.

The Club On A Sub

This is perhaps my favorite sub at Firehouse subs, The Club On A Sub. It really is the addition of crispy bacon strips to the Hook and Ladder that makes this a club sub. How they manage to get the bacon perfectly crisp is a mystery to me, but it really is a stretch to call this a club sandwich. I guess the sandwich license abounds. Minus the centerpiece of a triple-decker bread slice and the frilly toothpicks, it really is a fine sub club sandwich. 

The Firehouse Meatball Sub

The Firehouse meatball sub is served with Italian style meatballs, melted provolone cheese and traditional marinara sauce. If you want to make it spicy, the crew will add a dash of hot pepper flakes and hot pepper sauce.

What Is In The Firehouse Sub Meatball

The Firehouse Subs Italian meatball is primarily made with a combination of ground beef and ground pork. The recipe for Italian style meatballs include bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, parsley, garlic and onion. Spices in the meatball mix feature salt, red pepper and fennel.

The recipe for meatballs also includes a small amount of vegetable textured protein, which is a soy product. The soy powder meat extender is used to enhance the flavor and soft texture of the meatball as well as a meat filler. I’m going to skip the vegetable protein in this sub copycat recipe.

How Big is The Large Sub At Firehouse Subs

There are 3 different sizes of sub sandwiches at Firehouse Subs. The large sub at Firehouse Subs is 12 inches long. The next size is a medium sub sandwich that is 8 inches long. Firehouse also sells a small sub that is 4 inches long. The subs can be served hot or cold, but Firehouse has built a great reputation on their unique toasted and steamed hot subs. 

What Is A Fully Involved Order at Firehouse Subs

Firehouse subs are known for the quality of the fresh ingredients used to make the sub sandwiches. One easy way to order the sub is “Fully Involved”. Fully Involved is a sub that is loaded with shredded romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced white onion, Duke’s mayo and deli mustard. The sandwich is served with a Katz’s Kosher pickle on the side 

What Bread For A Meatball Sub

There are many varieties of sub and sandwich rolls on the market. What is the right roll for a Firehouse meatball sub recipe? Any overstuffed sandwich, whatever the region, starts with a great roll.

Traditional Italian Steak Roll

An Italian Steak Roll is crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. The long rise gives the roll flavor and a little more chew. Italian Steak Rolls have a rounded top that has a knife spit down the middle of the roll to allow for a higher rise. They are often baked into single 6-inch rolls and are a good choice for a meatball sub. The Italian Steak roll will keep for a few days at room temperature and freezes very well. 

Hearth Baked French Bread

Hearth baked french bread has a light crust with a tender interior. Olive oil and sugar have been added to the dough to give the bread a tighter texture than a typical French crusty long baguette. This kind of French bread is good for subs of all types and makes an excellent garlic bread or French bread pizza. 

Philly Sub Roll

The Philly style sub roll is a perfect roll for meatball subs. The roll isn’t crisp at all. They have a light texture and more chew than a French roll or Italian roll. The roll has a flatter and wider appearance with a blunt nose, usually with a knife split down the middle of the top. The flatter wide roll is better suited to hold piled sandwich ingredients and should be used within a day or two of baking.

Hot Dog Roll

I would eliminate a hot dog, brioche, potato or long roll immediately from the sub roll candidate list. The long hot dog roll is too soft to hold up under the weight of meatballs in marinara sauce. I would only consider this for a “knife and fork” lunch, in a pinch. 

What Toppings For A Meatball Sub

A filling Italian meatball sub is not limited to meatballs, sauce and cheese. Toppings can include sautéd onions and green bell peppers, mushrooms or even cherry peppers. Then you can top that with provolone or mozzarella and a shake of grated Parmesan cheese. 

Onions and Peppers

White or yellow onions are best for meatball sub toppings. Red onion is a little milder and sweeter than white or yellow onion, and I’d like my onion more sharp and savory than sweet. You can use any color of bell peppers for this recipe. Get the pan nice and hot, then add in olive oil and heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the sliced peppers and onions to the pan and cook until soft but still with a bite, about 5 to 6 minutes. Finish with a pinch of oregano, salt and pepper to enhance the flavors of the peppers and onions for the meatball sub.

Mushrooms For A Meatball Sub

Mushrooms by themselves offer little to the flavor of the meatball sub. But, if you take the time to properly cook the mushrooms, then you will be in for an extremely elevated foodie experience. 

You’ll need white mushrooms, garlic, shallots olive oil, dry white wine and pinches of salt, pepper and thyme. You could also use baby portabella mushrooms for a deeper meaty mushroom flavor. On the fence? Use a combination of the two mushrooms.

First cut the mushrooms (8 ounces)  into thick slices and then heat a fry pan over medium high heat. Add in butter (1 tbsp) and olive oil (1 tbsp). Let the oil heat to a shimmer and then add the mushrooms. 

Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes and then add the minced garlic (1 clove), minced shallot (1 small), salt, pepper and thyme. Cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes and add in the wine. 

Now, let the whole pan simmer until the wine has all but evaporated. Serve the sauteed mushrooms immediately, while they still have texture, on top of your meatball sub.

The Best Cheese For Meatball Subs

The most popular cheese for meatball subs is provolone. However, any  mild melting cheese will do. Some selections to consider for the top of a meatball sub include Italian Four Cheese Blend, Mozzarella cheese, Provolone and  Parmesan.

Italian Four Cheese blend is a blend of shredded cheese. The cheese blend typically consists of sweet melting cheese like provolone and Asiago with the addition of sharp Parmesan and Romano cheeses. The Asiago cheese has a flavor similar to Parmesan but is creamier and sweet, while the stronger flavor of the provolone adds some bit of sharpness.

Meatball Sub Marinara Sauce Recipe

The marinara sauce for a meatball sub is easy to make. Consisting of only 5 ingredients, the marina sauce cooks quickly. In a medium saucepan, cook minced garlic (4 cloves) in olive oil (1 tbsp)  for 2 to 3 minutes over medium meat. Add crushed tomatoes (28 ounces), basil (1 tsp), and Kosher salt (1 tsp). Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, for 30-60 minutes or until it has reduced and thickened enough to cover the back of a spoon. Perfect marinara for a meatball sub!

What’s to stop you from using your favorite jarred grocery store marinara sauce? Nothing. However, for a sub, make sure that the sauce is not thin and watery. If the marinara is thin, simmer it in an open fry pan until it has reduced enough that the sauce covers the back of a spoon.

How To Make A Meatball Sub

What goes on a meatball sub? For our version of Firehouse meatballs, you’ll need ground beef, ground Italian sausage, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, red onion, flat leaf parsley and olive oil. 

To make the sub sandwich, you’ll need  hoagie rolls, marinara sauce, garlic butter, provolone cheese and deli sliced pepperoni. A pinch of Italian seasonings and Parmesan will finish the sub toppings.

Firehouse Copycat Meatball Sub Recipe

For the Firehouse meatball sub recipe, start by combining ground beef (1/2 pound) and sweet Italian sausage (½ pound) in a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs (1 cup), grated Parmesan (1 cup), chopped parsley (½ cup), egg (1), and grated red onions (½ small onion). Finish with a pinch of salt. 

Roll the meat mixture into small balls, about the size of a golf ball, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a baking tray with olive oil and then place the meatballs on the tray. Cook the meatballs for 10-12 minutes.

Meatball Sub With Garlic Bread

Our Firehouse meatball sub recipe is going to be served with garlic bread while getting the full treatment of meatballs marinara, provolone cheese and pepperoni. 

First, slice a hoagie roll down the top side without separating the halves. The roll will look like a boat that holds the meatballs marinara. Soften 1 stick of butter and add roasted garlic (1 tbsp). Spread the garlic butter into the roll halves and put the hoagie roll in the oven for 2 minutes to pre-toast the roll. In other words, let the garlic bread get happy and toasty!

In a small saucepan, heat the cooked Italian meatballs (5) with marinara sauce (1/2 cup) over medium high heat. Let the meatballs come to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Assemble The Meatball Sandwich

Gently open the sub roll and lay in the meatballs with the marinara sauce. Cover the meatballs with provolone cheese (2 slices) and pepperoni (4 slices), Italian seasonings (pinch) and grated Parmesan (pinch).  Put the meatball sandwich under the broiler until the provolone cheese has melted, and the pepperoni have crisped, about 3 minutes. 

How We Made The Copycat Firehouse Meatball Sub {YouTube}

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