Meatball Marinara Sandwiches

Yesterday my son Jake turned the ripe old age of 17. Happy Birthday, Jake!

When someone has a birthday at our house, they get to go out to lunch with Mom (& Dad if he's available), and they get to choose what I'm going to make for dinner. Jake LOVES the Meatball Marinaras at Subway, and asked me to make them. At first I thought, "Ok...," but they turned out so well and were so easy! Best of all, Jake said they were just like his fave at Subway, which made me happy.

Here is what I did:

1. I purchased Kroger brand Homestyle Meatballs from Smith's. You'll find them in the freezer section.
2. I also purchased a 2 lb, 13 oz jar of Ragu Old World Style (flavored with meat).
3. Dump frozen meatballs in a slow cooker.
4. Pour the Ragu over the meatballs. I used about 3/4 of the jar.
5. Cook on high for 3 hours, then turn to low and cook 2 hours more. (Or cook on Low for 8 hours). The Ragu thickens up a lot by this time and will not soak your hoagie.
6. I purchased an assortment of hoagie or hard rolls from the market. Even the harder rolls were perfect because the hot meatballs softened them up.
7. Slice the rolls open, but not all the wall through. Sprinkle some shredded Pepper Jack on the roll.
8. Load it up with meatballs and sauce. These are large meatballs, so a 6-inch bun held 5 meatballs.
9. Top with more shredded Pepper Jack. (Jake wanted sliced cheese, but it wasn't available. Shredded worked just as well. We thought it was even better).

This recipe made a total of 10 subs, with most of them being 6 inch size. Yum!!