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Easy Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders

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One bite of these meatball sliders and you’ll be craving more! These small individual sandwiches are quick to prepare and a great option to a full size meatball sub.

Football season and the Super Bowl are like holidays around my friends and these Italian Meatball sandwiches are perfect for a party appetizer or a snack for just the two of you!

Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders

Easy and delicious is my motto when feeding a crowd this time of year. That’s why I use all pre-made store bought ingredients. 

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Bake Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Preparation Level: Beginner +
Tray of uncooked meatballs, a green bowl with white shredded cheese, a light green bowl with marinara sauce and a package of King Hawaiian Rolls all on top of a wood surface

All Store Bought Pre-made Ingredients To Make This Simple Recipe

  • Rolls: I always use King Hawaiian Brand Rolls but you can use any roll that you prefer.
  • Meatballs: Frozen Italian Style Meatballs which are pork. Turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs or beef meatballs can be used as an alternative.
  • Jarred Marinara Sauce: My favorite is Rao’s Marinara.
  • Shredded Cheese: Packaged Italian blend (a combination of parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese).
  • Butter: Unsalted, melted
  • Optional: Garlic powder
  • Optional: Dry parsley
2 small rolls with a meatball, marinara sauce and cheese sitting on a white rectangular plate on top of a wood surface

Recipe Tips

  • Use a baking sheet instead of a baking dish. It makes it a lot easier to cut and remove the sliders after they are finished baking.
  • A fun way to serve them is on a tray as a pull apart meatball sliders meal.
  • I like to press down the meatballs before I cook them. This makes them a little flatter and a little easier to assemble and eat.
  • When cooking the meatballs use a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the inside is 165 degrees. You can flatten the meatballs a little before cooking.

Other Varieties Of Sliders That You Can Make

There is always the classic ham and cheese sliders. Are you looking for a fun twist for breakfast? Try egg and bacon sliders.

Want to spice up the juicy meatballs a little? Sprinkle a little crushed red pepper flakes on them while you are cooking them!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  • If using raw meatballs, cook according to package instructions.
12 cut horizontally cut opened rolls with a long serrated knife lying on top of the rolls. on top of a gray cutting board on a wood surface
  • Use a long serrated knife and cut the rolls in half horizontally.
Bottom layer of 12 rolls with a spoonful of marinara sauce on each one in a baking sheet on a wood surface
  • Spoon a little bit of the marinara sauce on the bottom portion of each bun.
Bottom layer of 12 rolls with a spoonful of marinara sauce on each one and one cooked meatball on top of each roll in a baking sheet on a wood surface
  • Place a cooked single meatball on each bun.
Bottom layer of 12 rolls with a spoonful of marinara sauce on each one and one cooked meatball on top of each roll with sprinkled Italian cheese on top in a baking sheet on a wood surface
  • Sprinkle the Italian blend cheese on top of the meatball.
  • Place the top portion of the bun on top.
12 meatball sliders with brushed melted garlic butter and parsley on the top on a baking sheet on top of a wood surface
  • Brush each roll with the melted butter and seasoning (garlic powder, dried parsley).
12 baked meatball sliders with brushed melted garlic butter and parsley on the top on a baking sheet on top of a wood surface
  • Cover the sliders with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake another 5 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
  • Using an oven mitt, remove them from the oven, cut them with a knife and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make The Sliders The Day Before My Next Party?

You can definitely cook the meatballs ahead and store them in the fridge until you need them. Just reheat the meatballs until they have a warm center.

The bottom of the rolls will get soggy so I recommend not to assemble them ahead of time.

What Kind Of Sauce Can I Use If I Don’t Have Marinara Sauce?

You can use spaghetti sauce or any favorite sauce that you have.

Can I Use Sliced Cheese Instead Of Shredded Cheese?

Absolutely! Just place a small slice of cheese on top of each meatball.

How To Reheat Leftover Sliders

I don’t think you will have any leftovers of these Easy Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders but just in case!

Tent the meatballs with foil so that the tops won’t get too brown and place the meatball sliders in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 10 – 15 minutes

Wooden plate with six small meatball burgers on it. The front burger is cut in half. There is a bamboo pick in each of the burgers.

Other Party Snacks

Easy Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders

Yield: 12

Easy Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders

Wooden plate with five small meatball burgers on it. There is a bamboo pick in each of the burgers.

Cheesy Italian Meatball Sliders are perfect for a party appetizer or a snack. These small individual sandwiches are quick to prepare and delicious.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 slider rolls (I prefer King's Hawaiian Brand)
  • 12 Italian meatballs, cooked
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups Italian blend cheese, shredded
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions

  1. If using raw meatballs, cook according to package directions.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  3. Cut the slider buns in half lengthwise with a serrated knife to separate the bottoms from the tops and place the bottom portion on a baking sheet.
  4. Take a spoonful of sauce and place it on the bottom portion of the buns.
  5. Place one meatball on top of each bun.
  6. Cover the meatballs with the shredded cheese and place the top portion of the buns over the cheesy meatballs.
  7. Brush the melted butter over the top of the buns. You can mix in garlic powder to the melted butter. Sprinkle with dried parsley flakes.
  8. Cover the baking sheet with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Using an oven mitt, remove them from the oven, cut them with a knife and serve.

Notes

  • Use a baking sheet instead of a baking dish. It makes it a lot easier to cut and remove the sliders after they are finished baking.
  • A fun way to serve them is on a tray as a pull apart meatball sliders meal.
  • When cooking the meatballs use a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the inside is 165 degrees. You can flatten the meatballs a little before cooking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 679mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g

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