Ingredients:
2 16-oz. packages Premio Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed
2 medium sweet yellow onions, chopped finely
12 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1 28-oz. can tomatoes, peeled
1 cup basil leaves, shredded
4 large, long Italian sandwich rolls
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded
- Always cook pork sausage to a minimum internal temperature of 160° F using a meat thermometer.
- Always cook chicken sausage to a minimum internal temperature of 165° F using a meat thermometer.
How to make Sausage Meatball Sandwiches:
1. Evenly divide Premio Sweet Italian Sausage into 12 sections.
2. Hand-roll Premio Sweet Italian Sausage meat into 12 small meatballs. Place sausage meatballs on a plate or another food preparation surface.
3. Heat 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet on a low-medium setting for 2 minutes.
4. Place Premio Sweet Italian Sausage meatballs into the skillet with the hot olive oil. Increase the heat setting to medium-high. Cook meatballs for 10-11 minutes, or until brown. Remove the meatballs from skillet and place on a plate. Reduce heat to low-medium setting.
5. Place the onion, 8 tbsp. garlic, 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper in the same large skillet. Cook for about 8 minutes to soften and brown the onion.
6. Stir the tomatoes into the skillet with the onions. Crush the tomatoes with a heavy spoon while stirring. Cook mixture for 8 minutes at same heat setting.
7. Add Premio Sweet Italian Sausage meatballs to tomato sauce mixture. Cook all ingredients for about 18 minutes to reduce sauce and coat meatballs. Remove from heat.
8. Put basil, 4 tbsp. garlic and 4 tbsp. olive oil in a food processor or blender to form a paste. Divide the paste between four Italian sandwich rolls and spread it inside each roll.
9. Preheat oven broiler to high.
10. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the Italian sandwich rolls paste-side open on the baking sheet.
11. Broil the Italian sandwich rolls for about 2 minutes. Remove from broiler.
12. Divide the meatballs between the sandwich rolls. Cover each meatball roll with sauce and 1/8 cup mozzarella.
13. Return the sandwiches to broiler.
14. Broil Premio Sweet Italian Sausage meatball sandwiches for about 3-4 minutes until mozzarella cheese melts. Serve this meatball sandwich recipe immediately.