Eyeball Meatball Submarine For Halloween | The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures

FOOD FUN: “Eyeball” Meatball Sandwiches Or Subs

October 22, 2016 at 2:23 pm · Filed under Bread-Crackers-Sandwiches, Halloween & Fall, Kids, Recipes

French Rolls Recipe
[1] Here’s looking at you! Eyeball meatball sandwich from BBQ Bob Trudnak | BBQ Guru. [2] French rolls are crusty on the outside, with an elegant crumb on the inside. They can be round dinner rolls, oblong or square sandwich rolls; the artisan versions have a dusting of flour. They’re easy to make at home with this recipe from DineAndDish.net.

You don’t need a grill to make these captivating eyeball meatball sandwiches from “BBQ Bob” Trudnak.

We made them in a skillet on the stove top. Everyone—children and adults alike—wanted more.

We love nouvelle surf and turf ideas of any kind. So to this recipe from “BBQ Bob” Trudnak, we added some “gourmet” flavor lists:

Anchovies (we had stocked up on cans from Cento).

substituted the more flavorful puttanesca sauce for the marina sauce.

Exchanged the blander Italian rolls with crusty French rolls (you can substitute lengths of a baguette instead).

Added some arugula we had on hand, which gave the sandwich a bite of “bite,” along with some fresh basil leaves (refreshing!).

RECIPE: SPOOKY HALLOWEEN EYEBALL
MEATBALL SANDWICHES

Ingredients For 4 Sandwiches

2 pounds ground meatloaf mix (veal, pork, beef) or your preferred blend

1/2 cup of grated romano or parmesan cheese

1½ cups Italian bread crumbs

2 eggs

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon Dried basil

¾ cup cold water

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Sliced black olives

Deli-sliced provolone cheese

Fresh short Italian rolls or substitute (we used the crisper French rolls)

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups marinara sauce

Optional: anchovies, fresh herbs, arugula, roasted red peppers

Optional: salad or crudités

Optional: beer for the adults, soft drinks for the kids

Preparation

1. HEAT the grill to 300°F direct; or for stovetop cooking, heat a skillet when ready to cook the meatballs.

2. MIX the ground meat, eggs, bread crumbs, herbs, spices and water by hand in a bowl until well blended. Add ¼ cup of grated cheese and mix once more. Divide into 8 equal portions and oll the meatballs to the size of golf balls and set aside on wax paper.

3. SET the meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes while the grill comes up to temperature or the skillet heats. (a) Grill the meats balls over a direct fire turning them to brown all sides and take them to an internal temp of 165°F, or (b) similarly cook them join the stovetop. While they cook…

4. WARM the marinara sauce. When the meatballs are done, remove them from the heat.

5. LIGHTLY BUTTER each roll, and toast for a minute over the coals on the grill (we toasted ours plain in the toaster oven, then buttered them.

6. ASSEMBLE: Place 2 meatballs on each roll and pour a little warm marinara sauce over them. Lay out two slices of provolone over the meatballs and place the sandwiches back on the grill in a pan to allow the cheese to melt. Place a sliced black olive on the top of each meatball so they look like eyeballs, then drizzle a little more marinara sauce between the meatballs.

If using the arugula, anchovies, etc.: We put the on the arugula and basil on bottom half of the roll and the anchovies on top of the cheese, creating some nicely creep “hairy eyeballs.”

WATCH THE PROCESS with this video:

ABOUT “BBQ BOB” TRUDNAK

Robert “BBQ Bob” Trudnak of Lansdale, Pennsylvania has been grilling and smoking barbecue professionally for more than 13 years. He has amassed over 200 awards and prizes at national and international competitions. An entrepreneur and inventor, he helped launch the world’s first BBQ temperature control devices for the company BBQ Guru, which develops and sells high-tech cooker accessories.

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