When game day is coming up and you’re wondering what to serve with meatball subs, we have just the list for you!
Meatball subs are a delicious Italian-inspired sandwich with savory marinara sauce that can be enjoyed for a hearty handheld dinner, or as perfect game-day food.
Sandwiches are some of the most versatile meals for pairing with a side dish, but we’ve compiled some of the best options.
Almost anything salty, savory, or sour works harmoniously with this iconic sub.
Without further ado, let’s go through 16 meatball sandwich sides that will leave a lasting impression on your homestyle Italian meals.
If you’re wondering what to serve with meatball subs, you’ve come to the right place.
From Zucchini Fries to Dill Coleslaw to the sweet tang of Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad, one of these recipes is sure to inspire you!
1. Pickle Chips
Pickles are an excellent accompaniment to any sandwich because of how the sour and savory flavors complement one another. Having a little acid on the side of your sandwich will help to cut through the fatty richness of the meatballs.
Fried pickle chips take this enjoyment to the next level – plus, they’re easy to make!
Mix the batter, dip your pickle chips, fry them in oil, and then season them however you’d like!
Pair them with a refreshing ranch dip or other sauce to cool down after each bite of your meatball sub.
Spinach artichoke dip is a slightly-sour, slightly-sweet dip that you can either bake or refrigerate.
Making this dip is as simple as finely chopping and processing each ingredient in a bowl and then putting it in the fridge.
Use reduced-fat mayonnaise and sour cream to turn this side into a great low-calorie option.
Once the dip is done, enjoy it with chips, crostini, or celery for added texture.
Sandwiches are often heavy, and meatball subs are no exception.
A traditional meatball sub on its own can often feel like a full meal.
Therefore, a light salad with plenty of flavor variety makes an excellent counterpart.
Making an apple feta salad is a simple matter of mixing the ingredients in a serving bowl.
The apples bring a light sweetness and the feta brings a savory bitterness. Add whatever greens, nuts, seasoning, and dressing you want and enjoy!
Fries are a classic addition to delicious sub sandwiches, but they can add a lot of fat and calories to an already heavy meal.
Zucchini fries circumvent the fatty, high-sodium nature of potatoes while providing the potassium your body needs.
You’ll need bread crumbs, flour, eggs, and seasoning to make the batter.
Once you’ve soaked each stick of sliced zucchini, bake them in the oven for twenty minutes. Then, you’ll be ready to enjoy these fries either alone, with ketchup, or with ranch dip!
A cool, rich, creamy potato salad makes an excellent side dish for meatball subs. Red potatoes are small, easy to boil, and have vitamin-rich skins.
Once you’ve boiled the potatoes, all you have to do is mix the ingredients, altering the recipe proportions to taste.
You can add Dijon mustard, bacon, celery, dill, cheese, and more.
There’s no end to the possibilities with this savory Southern side.
Coleslaw is an excellent side choice that is easy to make and refreshing to eat.
Just like with a salad, preparing coleslaw involves shredding the ingredients and thoroughly mixing in the dressing.
Mayonnaise, pickle juice, and a pinch of garlic powder make a cool and zesty dressing mix.
Dill coleslaw adds shredded pickles to cabbage and carrots for a tasteful, hydrating, and colorful dish.
This coleslaw will be a refreshing break from each hot bite of your sub!
For your Italian-inspired sandwich, pesto naturally fits in.
Pasta salad is a delightful refrigerated treat, and it’s easy as pie to mix in some delicious pesto.
You can make the pesto yourself or use a store-bought version.
Once you have a pot of boiled, drained pasta, simply mix in the pesto, olives, and tomatoes.
Refrigerate it for a few hours, and once it’s done chilling, the traditional Italian flavors will marry well with the marinara and herbs in your sub.
Steamed vegetables are a versatile, popular choice to accompany any entree, including sandwiches.
You can use a steamer or just suspend a collider full of your favorite broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, and Brussels sprouts over a boiling pot.
Once they’re soft, season them with salt, pepper, and butter.
You can add depth with lime juice, garlic powder, or a sauce like a turmeric dressing.
Whatever seasonings you like will take your veggies to the next level.
Minestrone is a light-but-hearty Italian favorite that will pair well with your sandwich and leave you feeling full and satisfied.
The base of the soup starts with chopped onions, carrots, and celery.
Then, you can add whatever you choose – tomatoes, kidney beans, garlic, rice, or even pasta noodles all make great and creative additions to minestrone.
Once you’ve eaten all the meatballs, try dipping the sandwich bread into the soup for a delicious finish.
10. Squash Casserole
It takes a while to bake, but squash casserole is a delectable side option if you’re looking for something comforting to go with your sandwich.
This recipe incorporates cheese, eggs, crushed crackers, onion, and squash for a buttery-smooth flavor combo with each bite.
Making a casserole is just a matter of methodically mixing the ingredients and then letting them sit in a baking pan for about an hour.
When it’s ready, you’ll have a side dish that tastes like the comfort of home.
It’d be difficult to find a fruit salad more colorful than this one.
This recipe is full of juicy, tangy fruits like pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, and more.
It’s a nutrient-rich, delicious sweet side dish that is incredibly easy to make, requiring very little prep.
The honey and lime add flavor bursts in each bite, complimenting each fruit in the mix with either a jolt of sweet or a pinch of sour.
For egg lovers, this is one of the best sides for meatball subs, packing a protein punch and providing a cool contrast to a hot sandwich.
The dish is very simple with few ingredients and high nutritional value.
Simply boil the eggs, carve out the yolks, mash them, and stir them back in with mustard, mayonnaise, and vinegar.
Finally, season them to your liking and refrigerate them for an hour before serving.
When you are ready to serve them, don’t forget to top the eggs with bacon and chives!
Macaroni salad is a well-loved picnic and barbecue side choice for a reason – it goes well with almost everything!
The process is easy, too.
Boil noodles, mix the ingredients, thoroughly coat them with dressing, and refrigerate the combination for an hour.
This recipe combines carrots, onions, and a refreshing mayo-based sauce.
You’ll find it’s a delicious summertime counterpart to your hot sandwich that both kids and adults will love.
14. Potato Skins
Potato skins are a high-ranking choice among appetizer lovers, and they also make one of the best meatball sub sides.
You can make restaurant-quality potato skins at home with red, russet, or sweet potatoes.
Bake them in the oven, and after letting them cool, cut them into halves.
Finally, scoop out the potato on the inside and cover the skins with cheese, green onion, bacon, sour cream, or any other toppings you enjoy.
Potato skins are highly malleable, so feel free to soup them up with barbecue sauce, chipotle seasoning, or even jalapenos!
15. Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is a very light, crunchy, and hydrating combination that couples well with sandwiches.
Romaine lettuce serves as the base, usually topped with shredded parmesan cheese, croutons, and a homemade vinaigrette.
Mixing the ingredients is easy, and making homemade croutons just requires baking baguette slices with oil and garlic salt.
You can add a protein like shrimp or extra vegetables like kale for a unique twist on this classic side dish.
Brunswick stew is last on our list of sides for meatball subs.
This stew is a crowd-pleaser with a variety of hearty flavors, vegetables, and protein.
The finished product is a filling soup with a little spice and a little sweetness.
Dipping the leftovers of your sandwich bread in the stew is a habit you’ll never be able to kick once you start.
The combination together makes for a perfect cold-weather meal.
What’s a meatball sub without the bread? Still delicious! Try these ideas for what to serve with meatballs here!
The bottom line
Sometimes even with the best of hot sandwiches and meals you love, it’s good to have some options for sides.
Switch it up and sub out the same ol’ bag of chips with some of these scrumptious homemade options.
We’ve got some hints for heating up those meatballs here.
Looking to make your leftover meatballs into a dinner all their own? Here are some of our recipe ideas!
What To Serve With Meatball Subs🍴
Here are meatball sandwich sides that will leave a lasting impression on your next meal.
Ingredients
- Pickle Chips
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Apple Feta Tossed Salad
- Zucchini Fries
- Red Potato Salad
- Dill Coleslaw
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Steamed Vegetables
- Minestrone Soup
- Squash Casserole
- Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad
- Bacon Deviled Eggs
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Potato Skins
- Caesar Salad
- Brunswick Stew
Instructions
- Pick one or more options from our list of What To Serve With Meatball Subs here!
- Start creating your new favorite side dish.
- Share and comment! Did you make any changes to make it your version?