Unless you want to declare your status as an American in Italy, don’t ask for a meatball sandwich. But that doesn’t mean the Italian diaspora didn’t result in some gems being born on foreign shores. Italian American cuisine is its own thing—and the meatball sandwich loaded with melted cheese is a great example. Like anything, its quality depends on the ingredients. Make this recipe with great bread, our housemade meatballs and marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano and even high-minded Italian purists will have a hard time not joining in the feast. Enjoy. 

Makes 4 sandwiches.  

8 DeLaurenti Housemade Meatballs in light sauce
One Macrina baguette 
2 balls of fresh mozzarella 
4 slices provolone cheese 
1 pint DeLaurenti Housemade Marinara 
2 Tbsp butter
Parmigiano-Reggiano 
2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped 

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425°F.  

Slice the meatballs in half. Place them in a saucepan and cover with marinara sauce. Warm over medium heat until the sauce is just bubbling, about 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cut the baguette into 4 equal pieces. Make a horizontal cut in the middle of each piece keeping their halves partially attached. Lay them open on a rimmed baking sheet and butter both sides of each piece. 

Bake for 3 minutes to crisp the inside. (This will help the bread hold up to the sauce.) 

Remove the bread from the oven. Add 2 meatballs (4 halves) to one side of the each piece of bread and to the other side add 1 slice of provolone and half a fresh mozzarella ball (breaking it up by hand to cover the bread). Return the baking sheet to the oven until the cheese is melted, 3–4 minutes. Grate Parmigiano-Reggiano over each one and add a pinch of chopped parsley. 

Serve hot with the warm marinara sauce on the side.