Free Recipe
Turkey Meatball Sub
520 CAL | 45G PROTEIN (PER SUB)Slow-cooker turkey meatballs on a toasted hoagie — 45 grams of protein a sub.
A classic meatball sub, rebuilt with lean 93/7 turkey. The meatballs cook low and slow in the crockpot so it’s basically hands-off — then you stack four on a Dave’s hoagie roll with mozzarella and parm and toast it till the cheese melts. 520 calories, 45 grams of protein a sub.
The Meatballs (Batch)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| 93/7 ground turkey | 3 lbs |
| Egg | 1 |
| Breadcrumbs | ½ cup |
| Garlic powder | 1 tbsp |
| Onion powder | 1 tbsp |
| Onion, medium | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tsp |
| Pasta sauce — 1 jar to cook them in (use 2 jars if you want leftover sauce for pasta) | 1–2 jars |
| Parsley + Parmesan, to finish | to taste |
The Sub (Per Serving)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dave’s hoagie roll — 220 cal / 11g protein | 1 |
| Meatballs (from the batch above) — 200 cal / 24g protein | 4 |
| Parmesan, sprinkled — 20 cal / 2g protein | to taste |
| Reduced-fat mozzarella — 80 cal / 8g protein | ¼ cup |
Macros
| Component | Cal / Protein |
|---|---|
| Dave’s hoagie roll | 220 · 11g |
| 4 meatballs | 200 · 24g |
| Parmesan sprinkle | 20 · 2g |
| ¼ cup reduced-fat mozzarella | 80 · 8g |
| Total (per sub) | 520 · 45g |
How To Make It
- Mix the meatballs. Combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, onion, and parsley until everything’s evenly worked in.
- Scoop, don’t roll. Use a 1-inch cookie scoop to portion the balls. The turkey is extremely moist — don’t use your hands, the scoop is the move.
- Into the crockpot. Dump 1 jar of pasta sauce into the crockpot (2 jars if you want extra sauce left over for pasta), add the meatballs, and slow cook on low for 3–4 hours.
- Finish the batch. Top with a little parsley and Parmesan.
- Build the sub. On a Dave’s hoagie roll, add 4 meatballs, sprinkle Parmesan, and top with ¼ cup reduced-fat mozzarella.
- Toast it. Into the oven for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Neil's Note
Turkey mix is way wetter than beef — fight the urge to roll these by hand or you’ll end up with mush. A 1-inch cookie scoop gives you clean, even balls every time. And do the two-jar move: one jar cooks the meatballs, the second leaves you a batch of meatball sauce for pasta later in the week — same crockpot, zero extra work.
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