Homemade Italian mini meatballs are surrounded by a ricotta and rich tomato sauce in this cheesy meatball sub dip. A fun twist on a classic meatball sub, this dip is easy to make and perfect for the big game!
When I first made this dip for my family, the reviews were raving! Everyone loved eating it while watching the football game. I think the key in this dip is the ricotta. It gives the dip a creamy, luscious consistency that you wouldn't get without it.
These meatballs are some of my family favorites, and I share the recipe in my 5 ingredient meatballs. They come out moist and tender every time!
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Why You'll Love Meatball Sub Dip
- It's a fun twist on the classic dish! Meatball subs are a favorite in my house. When I was thinking about a fun dip to make for the big game or for a family party, I thought about making a family favorite into a dip!
- It's easy to make! If you don't want to make homemade meatballs, use your favorite variety of frozen meatballs for an even easier dish!
- You can make everything ahead of time! No one wants to stress the day you have a party, so make this dip ahead of time, place it in the refrigerator, and when you are ready to serve, bake for 10 minutes and you'll have a piping hot, delicious dip ready to go!
Ingredients
- Ground Beef- 80/20 ground beef is best. That amount of fat in the meatballs give the meatballs a juicy texture and flavor.
- Breadcrumbs- Flavored with Italian seasoning. You can make your own homemade sourdough breadcrumbs, or you can buy store bought breadcrumbs.
- Eggs- To hold the ground beef together.
- Mozzarella- For the inside of the meatballs as well as to add cheese on top of the dip.
- Garlic- For extra flavor. If you don't have fresh garlic, garlic powder would work great in this recipe too.
- Tomato Sauce- Your favorite jarred variety or you can make your own homemade marinara sauce.
- Ricotta- Whole milk or part skim. You can easily find ricotta in your local grocery stores. It's usually in the cheese aisle, near the yogurt or cottage cheese.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
What Type Of Meat is Best for Meatballs?
To make tender and moist meatballs, you need some fat in the meat. 95/5 or even 93/7 ground beef would not have enough fat.
The type of meat you want to look for is 80% fat. Fat adds moisture and richness to the meatballs.
You can mix meat too, if you want to make these 6 ingredients meatballs instead. Ground pork has more fat than ground beef, a combination of both would make a delicious meatball.
To make these meatballs a little lighter, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
How To Make Meatball Sub Dip
Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.
Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Carefully take the skillet out of the oven and enjoy!
How To Serve Meatball Sub Dip
- I like to serve this meatball dip with crostini. You can purchase them or you can make them. Take a loaf of sourdough bread or Italian bread and cut it into slices. Top with olive oil and salt. Bake for 5-7 minutes until toasted. Sourdough breadsticks would be a great option to dip into this delicious recipe too!
- You can also make these into mini meatball subs. Serve this with small rolls and allow people to create their own mini meatball sub while they watch the game.
- If you have leftovers, boil some pasta and use this dip as a sauce! It's full of mozzarella, ricotta, tomato sauce, and meatballs, the perfect pasta dinner!
How To Store Meatball Sub Dip
The meatballs can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Then, when you are ready to serve the dip, add the tomato sauce, ricotta, and meatballs to a skillet. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake until the meatballs are heated through and the mozzarella is melted.
Place any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the leftovers in an oven safe dish and top with mozzarella. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the mozzarella is melted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you have a favorite variety of mini meatballs, those would be great! Add them to the skillet and nestle them into the tomato sauce. Bake until hot and bubbly.
Yes! Any oven safe dish or pan will work for this dip.
Yes! Make the meatballs first and then put the dip together in the slow cooker instead of in a cast iron skillet. Set the slow cooker to high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
Other Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Meatball Sub Dip
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef 80/20
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs Italian seasoning
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 ½ cups Mozzarella Shredded
- 2 cups Tomato Sauce Your Favorite Jarred Variety
- 1 cup Ricotta Whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a bowl, add the ground meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, ½ cup of mozzarella, and ground garlic. Mix well until fully combined.
- With a mini ice cream scoop, scoop out the mixture and roll into balls. Place the meatballs onto a silicone lined baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, add the tomato sauce to a cast iron skillet.
- Spoon ricotta into the tomato sauce.
- When the meatballs are done cooking, add them to the tomato sauce.
- Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
- Place the skillet back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and slightly browned.
- Carefully take the skillet out of the oven and enjoy!
Notes
- If you do not have a cast iron skillet, any oven safe pan or dish can be used instead.
- 80/20 ground beef will make the most moist and tender meatballs.
- Whole milk or part skim ricotta can be used.
- If you do not have a mini ice cream scoop, use a spoon and try to get the meatballs as even in shape as possible.
- The silicone mat will prevent the meatballs from sticking to the baking sheet.
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