The Ultimate Mini Meatball Subs: Pull-Apart Sliders Perfect For Sharing!
I love a classic Italian spaghetti and meatballs dinner, but sometimes nothing beats a good ol’ meatball sandwich. 😋 These sliders are like mini, shareable versions of the beloved sub—with a delicious twist!
Usually, mini meatball subs are built sandwich-style, with a meatball or two stacked inside the bun. But I’ve always found this to be a hassle to assemble and serve—especially when feeding a crowd. And with such a small bun, things get messy and soggy fast—not ideal! 🙅🏻♀️
So, I found a better way to enjoy all the fun, saucy, goodness: Cheesy Pull-Apart Meatball Sliders.
Instead of slicing the buns in half, I hollow them out—just enough to nestle the meatballs right inside. A slab of sweet Hawaiian rolls makes things even easier since they’re built for pulling apart and stay super soft once baked.
To take things up a notch, I spread creamy herbed ricotta inside each roll. As the meatball sliders bake, the ricotta melts into the bread, adding an irresistible layer of cheesy, herby goodness in every bite. 🤤
The result? The perfect balance of soft, pillowy bread, gooey cheese, and juicy meatballs—all in an easy-to-eat slider. Best of all, you can easily scale them up to feed a crowd. Just pull apart and dig in! 🙌🏼
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
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The Best Meatballs for Meatball Sliders
Every good meatball sandwich starts with a really good meatball. I’m partial to my Italian-Style Beef and Pork Meatballs and Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs—both recipes are baked and broiled for hands-off, foolproof cooking with the juiciest results.
Prefer Store-Bought? ⇢ No problem! Prepared fresh or frozen meatballs work perfectly and make this recipe even quicker to pull together. Just cook them according to the package directions before assembling your sliders!
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You’ll love this recipe because it’s as simple as it is delicious! With just 4 easy steps—simmer, mix, stuff, and bake—you’ll have meatball slider heaven: saucy meatballs, gooey cheese, and golden, toasty rolls.
Serving Suggestions
These cheesy meatball sliders are awesome for parties and game days because they’re easy to assemble and bake up quickly. Plus, they’re so fun to share! Let your guests pull apart their mini meatball sliders and serve with a side of warm Homemade Simple Tomato Sauce for dunking. 😋
In our meatball-obsessed house, they’re also an ideal weeknight dinner. Serve with a Classic Caesar Salad or my Light and Fresh Mixed Greens Salad, and you’ve got a complete meal.
I can’t wait for you to try these Pull-Apart Meatball Sliders with Herbed Ricotta! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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Pull-Apart Meatball Sliders with Herbed Ricotta
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 sliders 1x
- Category: Sandwiches & Burgers, Meatball Recipes, Snacks and Appetizers
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italin-American
Description
Whether you’re hosting game day, a holiday party, or a casual family dinner, these Cheesy Pull-Apart Meatball Sliders are the ultimate crowd-pleaser!
Soft Hawaiian rolls are stuffed with creamy herbed ricotta, tomato sauce, melty mozzarella, and juicy meatballs—use store-bought, frozen, or homemade meatballs to suit your needs—and baked until golden and bubbly.
Perfect for grabbing, tearing, and sharing, these mini meatball subs are easy to make and impossible to resist!
Ingredients
- 12 prepared meatballs of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 cup Simple Tomato Sauce or jarred marinara sauce of choice, plus extra for serving
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls or pull-apart dinner rolls of choice
- herbed ricotta cheese (below)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
for the herbed ricotta cheese:
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup finely chopped leafy fresh herbs (e.g. basil, parsley, oregano, etc.)
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F, positioning a rack in the upper third. Prepare the meatballs according to your recipe or package directions. Once cooked, transfer the meatballs to a medium saucepan with the tomato sauce and simmer over low heat to keep warm.
- Prepare the herbed ricotta cheese: In a bowl, combine all listed ingredients. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper as desired. Mix well. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Hollow out the rolls: Place the Hawaiian sweet rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using a paring knife, hollow out each roll to create a cavity about 1½-2 inches in diameter, leaving the bottoms intact. Set aside.
- Assemble the meatball sliders: Spread about 1 tablespoon of herbed ricotta into each hollowed-out roll. Place a meatball in each cavity, top with a spoonful of tomato sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the meatball sliders: Transfer the sliders to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden and toasty. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- Serve: Carefully transfer the sliders to a platter and serve immediately with extra tomato sauce for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes
- Best meatballs to use: I love using my Italian-Style Beef and Pork Meatballs or my Easy Baked Chicken Meatballs for these meatball sliders. That said, feel free to use any meatballs you like best—store-bought, frozen, or homemade. Just make sure they’re about 1½-2 inches in diameter so they fit nicely in the rolls.
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover meatball sliders will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the sliders on a baking sheet and warm in a 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes, until heated through. You can microwave individual sliders in 30-second intervals, though the bread may lose some crispness.
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10/10 will be making again soon! Quick and comforting. The creamy ricotta was amazing.
Happy to hear that you loved these sliders as much as we do, Sara! Couldn’t agree more about the ricotta!