Toasted Mozzarella Stick Sub Sandwiches
Crispy, Cheesy Bites Of Goodness
If you’ve ever looked at a mozzarella stick and thought, “you deserve more,” then this Toasted Mozzarella Stick Sub Sandwich is for you. Crispy, melty cheese gets tucked into a toasted garlic roll with warm marinara and a generous pile of sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a sub that’s cozy, a little over the top, and exactly the kind of comfort food we love in my house.
I actually came up with this sandwich because I was looking for something meatless for Fridays during Lent. I love a good veggie sandwich, but I don’t always love when eggplant or zucchini are trying to pretend they’re meat.
One of my favorite sandwiches is from Ricobene’s in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. They make an incredible breaded eggplant sandwich that’s a spin on their famous breaded steak and it is delicious.
But I was sitting here thinking… what if instead of vegetables trying to be meat, we just let crispy cheese be the star?
That’s when I thought about my favorite mozzarella sticks from Arby’s, so yes, I went out and bought two six-packs LOL. Twelve mozzarella sticks total.
Then I sautéed up a mountain of peppers, onions, and mushrooms, toasted the mozzarella sticks until they were crispy on the outside and melty in the center, and piled everything onto toasted rolls with marinara and extra cheese. And just like that, the perfect meatless sandwich was born.
At least in my opinion!
The Perfect Sauce
A lot of you always ask about my favorite marinara sauce, and I am forever loyal to the black label one from Aldi. I think it has the best flavor without overpowering whatever you’re making.
It just tastes like fresh tomatoes and herbs, and it’s not overly salty. Honestly, I think it’s almost identical to the much more expensive Rao’s, which makes it an easy win for me every time.
Roll Out
The rolls I love for this are the Turano French rolls. You can usually find them at Aldi, and I also grab them at my regular grocery store where they’re typically sitting on the little shelf in front of the deli case with the specialty breads.
That said, any good French or Italian roll will work beautifully here . You just need to make sure you toast it lightly and get that cheese nice and melty before assembling the sandwich.
Perfect For Staggered Eating Times
This actually turned out to be a perfect meal for our schedule because Mr. Tipsy and I often eat at completely different times. I ate at a normal dinner hour, then when he got home around 10:30, all I had to do was heat up his mozzarella sticks, toast the bread, and pile on the peppers, onions, and mushrooms I had already sautéed earlier.
There was barely any cleanup, and if you have an air fryer, this would be even easier.
Other Meatless Meals
I have also been doing a grilled cheese series during this Lenten season. I have three very good grilled cheese sandwich recipes for those of you who may be looking for another cheesy, meatless option.
Toasted Mozzarella Stick Sub Sandwiches
Crispy, golden mozzarella sticks tucked into a toasted garlic roll with melty cheese, warm marinara, and a pile of sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms. It’s a cheesy Italian Sub with crispy, melty mozzarella.
Ingredients
- 6 mozzarella sticks (frozen or from your favorite fast food chain)
- 1 cup marinara sauce, plus more to taste
- 4 slices mozzarella, provolone, or cheese of choice
- 3 small to medium green bell peppers, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1 pint white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt, divided (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs (or to taste)
- 2 French rolls or sub rolls
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice the bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms. Leave the peppers slightly larger since they are a main component of the sandwich.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and mushrooms and sauté until softened and golden brown. Do not season them at the beginning, as this will draw out moisture and make them soggy.
- Once the vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized, season with garlic salt, black pepper, and dried Italian herbs to taste. Stir well and remove from heat.
- While the vegetables are cooking, bake the mozzarella sticks according to package directions. If reheating already-cooked mozzarella sticks from the refrigerator, bake until hot, crispy, and sizzling. Oven times will vary depending on brand and whether they were frozen or refrigerated.
- Slice the French rolls. Drizzle the cut sides lightly with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly golden. Halfway through, flip the rolls so the cut side faces down to get slightly crispy.
- Remove the rolls from the oven. Spread marinara sauce on both cut sides of each roll. Place two slices of cheese on each sandwich.
- Return the rolls to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.
- Once the mozzarella sticks are crispy, place three mozzarella sticks onto each roll.
- Top generously with the sautéed peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Add additional marinara sauce if desired.
- Serve immediately while hot and melty.
Notes
- This recipe makes two large sandwiches, but you will have enough vegetable filling to make four. If making four sandwiches, use 12 mozzarella sticks and four rolls.
- Seasonings and marinara can be adjusted to taste.
- Every oven and brand of mozzarella stick cooks differently, so keep a close eye on them and bake until crisp and sizzling.