‘The Pioneer Woman’: Ree Drummond’s Mini Meatball Sandwiches Are Ready in 30 Minutes

Ree Drummond makes mini meatball sandwiches that are quick and easy when you need a meal in a hurry. The Pioneer Woman star makes use of store-bought dinner rolls for her meatball sliders.

Ree Drummond makes an easy mini meatball sub

Drummond wrote about her mini meatball sandwiches in a 2010 blog post on The Pioneer Woman website.

“Boy oh boy, was this one good,” she wrote about the sandwiches. “Scrumptious moist meatballs simmered in marinara sauce then spooned into a standard dinner roll and surrounded by melted cheese. It’s a slider of sorts … only it’s a meatball sandwich instead of a burger!”

Drummond shared, “I took a slightly Italian approach for these, with the marinara sauce and the provolone cheese. But I came very close to using the comfort-food meatball recipe here on my site (and in my cookbook, for those of you who have it). It’s made with more of a ketchup base and winds up tasting more like meatloaf. Either approach works!”

How to make Ree Drummond’s mini meatball sandwiches

Drummond demonstrated how to make her mini meatball sandwiches during an episode of The Pioneer Woman dedicated to quick meals.

She heated olive oil in a skillet while she made the meatballs. Drummond combined ground beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and milk. She used her hands to combine the ingredients, then rolled the meat into balls small enough to fit on dinner rolls.

The Food Network host added diced onions to the skillet. “Most people I know want quick recipes for dinner,” she said. “Every now and then I like to make something elaborate if I’m having people over or if it’s a special occasion. But most of the time, my family’s banging their forks on the dinner table and I just need something fast.”

She put the meatballs in the pan, turning them to brown each side then added marinara sauce. “I like making my own marinara sauce sometimes but you can get some really yummy jarred sauce,” she said. “And when you’re looking for a quick meal, it’s definitely the way to go.”

Drummond sprinkled parsley over the top, placed the lid on the skillet, and cooked the meatballs for 15 minutes. She placed grated mozzarella cheese on each meatball, put the lid on again, and let the cheese melt before assembling the sandwiches.

Drummond sliced the rolls, placed a meatball on each roll, and placed a lid on top of each sandwich.

The full recipe is available on the Food Network website.

‘The PIoneer Woman’ star’s recipe earns rave reviews

Drummond’s mini meatball sandwiches earn glowing reviews. “These are great! I browned all the sides and cooked for about 10 minutes before I added the marinara,” one person shared. “Served on King Hawaiian sub rolls, definitely a keeper.”

Another reviewer wrote, “This is my go-to recipe for quick easy meatballs. If you make it with an all-natural jar of sauce you will love it. I substitute the beef for chicken or turkey and it never fails! Easy and delicious.”

One person raved, “My family and I thought these were delicious … They were super easy to make, which I totally appreciate.”