meatball and veggie sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef, or - 32 ounces fully cooked frozen meatballs
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 medium green or red bell pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cup prepared spaghetti sauce with basil
- 8 French bread rolls (6 inches long each)
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cut French bread horizontally in half to within 1/2 inch of one side. Remove small amount of soft center from bottom and top of each piece. Use bread removed from center to make 1 cup crumbs.
2. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape beef mixture into 24 meatballs.
3. Place meatballs on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350°F oven 25 to 30 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160°F on an instant read thermometer.
4. Or, if using fully cooked meatballs, add directly to spaghetti sauce and continue.
5. Meanwhile cut bell pepper and medium onion into thin strips. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook vegetables 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; stir occasionally. Add meatballs and spaghetti sauce to vegetables. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until heated through.
6. To serve, place 3 meatballs and equal amount of sauce mixture on bottom half of each roll. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Close sandwich.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Nutrition Info per serving: (1 serving, 9 oz.) 351 calories; 11 g fat (4 g saturated fat; 3 g monounsaturated fat); 122 mg cholesterol; 1009 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 3.7 g fiber; 31 g protein; 7.1 mg niacin; 0.4 mg vitamin B6; 2.8 mcg vitamin B12; 4.6 mg iron; 22.3 mcg selenium; 5.7 mg zinc.