The Best Meatball Sandwich Ever! (And it's Healthy!)

I’ve posted pictures of my mileage as it slowly gets back to normal levels, via the treadmill, but Monday morning, I commandeered my mom’s Garmin Forerunner 10 for a wonderful 5.5 mile run outside!

Oh how glorious it was! Due to spending my weekdays in a not exactly pedestrian friendly town and only being able to run before the sun comes up, Monday-Friday I am confined to the treadmill. When the weekend comes, I am ready to bust out the doors!

This was possibly the first time in my life I have ever been aware of my exact splits running outside.

Mile 1: 9:31

Mile 2: 8:56

Mile 3: 8:50

Mile 4: 9:12

After that I forget. It came out to an average 9:08 pace which, is ok, but I would have like to see it a little slower.

Yes, you read that right, slower. Coming back from my stress fracture I am trying to keep it between 9:30-9:00 pace, closer to 9:30. After eight months of dealing with this injury, I am OVER IT and not about to jeopardize the progress I have finally begun to make!

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The Best Meatball Sandwich Ever!

Despite eating and ENJOYING healthy, home cooked meals most every night of the week, some members of my family suffer from the notion that healthy food does not taste as good as unhealthy food. They eat my mother’s meals each night and proclaim how great they are, yet when overcome by the desire to cut the junk, they get into a mental funk. They assume the mindset that their food will be “blahh” for the remainder of their, “diet.”

I won’t get into the flaws of this omnipresent misconception in this post, but will suffice to say that the member my family who tends to feel this way ate this recipe for meatball sandwiches and was, ecstatic, thrilled, overjoyed, gleeful, elated, joyous, and proclaiming to the hills how great it was!

Meatball subs are one of my favorite foods, however, meatballs tend to be rather caloric and fat filled. There is certainly a time and a place for that, but heck, I want to eat these babies all the time!

While some fat is necessary to maintain the moisture, this recipe keeps all of the flavor by using buffalo, a naturally lean yet tender meat.

The second trick is to scoop out the insides of the ciabatta. Sure it cuts calories, but more importantly, it it creates the perfect bed to hold the meatballs and sauce!

Ingredients:

Serves: 6, Hands On Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 60 minutes

6 Whole Wheat Ciabatta

Meatballs:

1lbs ground buffalo

1/2 lbs ground turkey breast

2 cloves finely minced garlic

1/2 c finely chopped sweet onion

1/4 c whole wheat bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

3 oz spinach, chopped

salt & pepper & oregano

Sauce:

3/4 c chopped onion

2 cloves minced, crushed garlic

1 c GOOD marinara sauce

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 400. Combine all meatball ingredients, mixing with hands until thoroughly mixed, careful not to over mix.

Spray baking sheet lined with foil with cooking spray. Using the palm of your hands, roll one generous tablespoon of meatball mixture into round balls, and place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 15-16 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, preheat a large sauce pan to medium high heat. Transfer cooked meatballs to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned on the outside, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add onion and garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add sauce, stir, and place lid on pan. Allow to simmer on low until ready to serve.

Cut ciabatta in half. Hollow the inside of the bread out using a serrated knife and discard or save for another use, leaving the outside of the bread intact. Spoon meatballs and sauce into bread and enjoy!

Are you a meatball sandwich fan?

I still remember my first one! Tasting my Dad’s Meatball Sub from Subway… it was love at first bite!

Do you run with a Garmin?

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