Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

Let's face it - meatball subs don't normally rank up there on the "healthy" list. They're rich, saucy, fatty...and of course, utterly delicious. This particular recipe isn't quite the healthiest due to the amounts of cheese, but some of the additional saturated fat is cut out by making the meatballs out of lean ground chicken instead of using ground beef, veal or pork. Keep in mind that if you don't have the time to make the meatballs yourself, you can always use Italian-seasoned prepackaged frozen meatballs - just allow enough time for the meatballs to heat through in the sauce. Think about 3 to 5 of the prefab meatballs per sub.

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

1½ lb. lean ground chicken

1 tbsp. grill seasoning blend (like McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning)

1 large egg

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

½ cup Italian bread crumbs

2 large cloves garlic, cracked and split

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 cup fat free, reduced sodium chicken stock

8 - 10 fresh basil leaves, torn or julienned

4 ( 6 to 8") crusty sub rolls

1½ cups shredded provolone cheese

Handful of chopped parsley leaves

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the grill seasoning. Add the egg, ½ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and a healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Using your hands, mix the meat until everything is well-blended. Form 12 large meatballs. Flatten the meatballs slightly until they resemble something like a miniature oval meat loaf. Be careful not to form the meatballs wider than the sub rolls! Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes until golden and firm.

While the meatballs are baking, heat 1 - 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic cloves and cook for 5 minutes; remove the cloves. Add the crushed red pepper flakes, then the canned tomatoes and lastly, the chicken stock. Season with kosher salt and black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings and adjust if necessary. Stir in the basil. Reserve the extra sauce for dipping while at the table.

When the meatballs are finished baking, remove them from the oven and loosen with a thin spatula. Add them to the sauce, turning to coat with the sauce.

Cut the sub rolls, making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little of the bread and lightly toast the rolls under the broiler. Fill the bottoms of the rolls with the meatballs and some of the sauce. Combine the provolone and the remaining ½ cup Parmigiano. Cover the subs with cheese. Return them to the broiler and melt the cheese until it becomes golden.

Serve immediately with the extra sauce for dipping.

Serves 4