Ultimate Meatball Sub Bundtwich

5 from 3 votes

Ultimate Meatball Sub Bundtwich

Indulge in the ultimate comfort food, our decadent Ultimate Meatball Sub Bundtwich! Perfect for parties, potlucks, or a hearty family meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Bread Cooling Time1

Total Time3

Course: Appetizer, Bread, Game Day, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Susan Ensley

Equipment

15-cup non-stick bundt pan
wire cooling rack
half-sheet pan
Parchment paper
cutting board
Bread Knife
silicone basting brush
Medium sauce pan
Silicone Spatula
non-stick cooking spray

Ingredients

2 - 11 oz cans Refrigerated French Bread Dough
14 oz ½-inch Frozen Italian Meatballs¹ (about 28 meatballs)
15 oz can Tomato Sauce
½ tbs Minced Garlic Paste²
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
4 tbs Unsalted Butter
½ tsp Garlic Powder
3 slices Provolone Cheese cut in half
3 slices Mozzarella Cheese cut in half
24 slices Pepperoni³
1 ½ oz Parmesan Cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 15-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the French bread dough from the tubes, but do not unroll them. Place them in the prepared pan to form a circle. Firmly pinch the ends of the rolls together. Bake for 33 to 38 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire cooling rack. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, turn the bread out of the pan and allow it to cool for an hour, or until it has reached room temperature.
While the bread is cooling, pour the tomato sauce into a medium-sized saucepan. Stir in the minced garlic paste, Italian seasoning, and freshly ground black pepper. Add the ½-ounce frozen Italian meatballs and stir them into the sauce. Cover the pot and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce bubbles. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer covered, stirring occasionally, while the bread cools to room temperature.
Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Once the bread has cooled to room temperature, use a bread knife to slice it in half horizontally. Then, pinch or tear bread from the cut sides of each half, leaving about a ½-inch shell. Discard the torn bread or use it for another purpose.
Place the halves cut side up on the prepared pan. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave and stir in garlic powder. Use a silicone basting brush to brush the garlic butter inside of the bread. Toast in the 350°F oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and flip the bread halves over. Brush garlic butter over the outside of both halves. Then, flip the halves back over. Brush the inside of the bread halves with tomato sauce to coat.⁴
Cut the provolone and mozzarella cheese slices in half. Line the inside of one half with the provolone slices and the other half with the mozzarella slices. Next, line the inside of each half with pepperoni slices. Use a pair of tongs to place a single layer of meatballs on top of the pepperoni slices in both halves. Reserve the remaining tomato sauce to serve on the side of the bundtwich. Top the meatballs with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the pan from the oven, then carefully invert the decorative half of the bread onto the other half, forming the bundtwich. Then, grate some fresh parmesan on top of the hot sandwich. Use a bread knife to cut into wedges, and serve with reserved tomato sauce on the side.⁵
Yield: 10 servings.⁶

Notes

The 14-ounce package contained 28 ½-oz meatballs. I used 14 meatballs on each half. Make sure the meatballs you use are ½-oz, larger ones won't fit.
If you are unable to find the garlic paste, you can substitute 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced.
Use 12 slices of pepperoni for each half.
When brushing the halves with tomato sauce, use just enough to coat the inside. Too much sauce results in a soggy interior.
Use decorative picks to hold the wedges together when serving.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat wrapped in non-stick aluminum foil at 350 for 10-15 minutes until hot.

Nutrition