BBQ’d Meatball Sandwiches

We regularly spend time watching our 4 young grandsons. Since we are blessed to be able to see them often and have them with us every Sunday, I can pretty reliably anticipate what they will like or want to eat, but it can be a little predictable. If they want chicken fingers and fries for dinner, Opa and I have chicken fingers and fries for dinner. If today “Pa-sketti” or like tonight, BBQ’d Meatball Sandwiches seem to stoke their interest, then Opa and I fall in line and we eat what they eat. I have never been the mom or Oma who makes one dinner for the adults and one more kid friendly version, we enjoy the same foods together each night and this is a meal we were all excited to eat!

BBQ’d Meatball Sandwiches are a hit with family and friends every time!

As someone who’s hobby and interest is cooking and reading about cooking, I like to try new things, often! There are times I want to make something new and interesting that I either saw someone else create or thought up myself. Often my work schedule means that the “new” thing is on the menu for “Sunday Funday” with the grandsons. What I do know after raising two boys of my own, is the way to get kids on board to eat something, involves them helping to make that something.

Give me a BBQ’d Meatball Sandwich and I am one happy Oma!!

Sometimes it starts at the grocery store, picking up the items. For my littlest grandsons, that means running down the grocery aisle (per The Toddler Rule Book, Article 3 Section 4, “No walking allowed, running and hopping only”) picking up the can or bag of something and chucking it in the cart (yes “chucking”, there is no “placing or setting” in The Toddler Rule Book). “I helped,” really means something to them. For the older boys, that means looking at the recipe, finding the items somewhere in Oma’s kitchen and putting them all out on the counter and making sure we have everything we need to get started.

One of my favorite fun foods for kids to make involves lots of hand-washing ahead of time…..Meatballs!  The first time my oldest grandson helped me make meatballs for this BBQ’d Meatball Sandwich recipe, he was literally in a place of utter happiness, squealing with glee.  I had a HUGE bowl of ground meat, spices, raw eggs and liquids.  He put on his “cooker” apron and pulled the stool up to the counter because he was in charge of squishing that big bowl of “stuff” altogether with his hands.  I gave him lots of time to “squish” but had to call a halt to his endeavors when he was actually trying to lay his whole upper body in the bowl, so both arms were completely hidden in meat. I wanted to be a butcher when I was a kid because I loved the feel of raw meat (no, nothing Dexter-ish), so I understood his fascination, but we did have to eat this this after all.

BBQ Meatball Sandwiches

Oma Darling

This sweet and tangy bbq sauce is excellent on meatballs, making a hearty and flavorful sub

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

resting time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 4 large eggs
• 2 packages Uncle Bens Ready Rice (Original White) Cook in microwave 90 seconds per package instructions and let cool before adding to meat mixture
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons onion powder
• 4 lbs lean, ground beef

BBQ Sauce

• 2 cups ketchup
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons onion powder
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
• 6 sandwich rolls, split

Instructions

 

Meatball Instructions

• Mix ground beef, eggs, both packages of cooled Uncle Bens Ready Rice, onion powder, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.  
• Form into 1 inch balls and place in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet.

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake meatballs for approximately 20 minutes or until no longer pink in middle.

  Divide meatballs into servings of 30 meatballs per recipe.

BBQ Sauce Intructions

• Add ketchup, brown sugar, onion powder garlic powder, liquid smoke to a sauce pan, stir together and heat on low until just bubbling.

  Add 30 meatballs and gently stirring just to coat meatballs.

  Split rolls and place approximately 5 meatballs per sandwich, can add extra sauce to sandwich to suit tastes.

Keyword BBQ Meatball Sandwiches

Last week I was going through my older recipes and I stumbled on a tattered recipe card for these BBQ’d Meatball Sandwiches.  I used to make them when my boys were growing up. Not only were they easy to make ahead of time, they were also filling. I decided to offer these as a Sunday night dinner option to the grandsons and they jumped at the chance to help. Since making these involved meat, eggs, rice and “squishing”, I knew it was the ultimate “Sunday Funday” food with the boys and they agreed!

These BBQ’d Meatball Sandwiches are a hearty sandwich that never fails to please, do you have a sandwich that is your go to?