Ingredients
-Meatballs
-Shredded mozzarella cheese
-Marinated mushrooms
-Green bell pepper
-French bread
Christian: After the success of the previous meatball sandwich, I had high hopes for this one. And now I’m going to turn it over to Tinny Tim to explain how that turned out:
We used meatballs from the same batch as in Sandwich #23. This one had bell peppers just like the previous one, too. We also added marinated mushrooms, which is something I thought would be great. And yet, this one wasn’t great.
Full disclosure: I kinda screwed up the mushrooms. I bought some jarred mushrooms that I thought were in an actual marinade, but they were really just in water. To try to correct my mistake, I drained the mushrooms, ate an entire jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and then put the mushrooms in the remaining artichoke liquid. After letting them “soak” overnight, the mushrooms didn’t really take on any additional flavor. So, yeah, the disappointing mushrooms were my fault.
Nonetheless, I think the sandwich overall really suffered from a lack of condiments. The spreadable goat cheese on the previous meatball sandwich added a creaminess that the shredded mozzarella here couldn’t. There was really nothing in this one to add that element, or add any needed additional flavor.
The meatballs were still good, but they didn’t get much help.
★★½
Susannah: This one reads like a sandwich you could find in almost any deli anywhere, and that’s not surprising considering the classic ingredients. It’s a variation of a run of the mill meatball sub we’ve probably all had at one point. Something to note is there is no sauce on this sub, possibly a big omission. You’re relying on the marinated mushrooms and green peppers to provide enough wetness and bind it together, and I don’t know if that is enough to pull it off. If there was a cup of marinara on the side then we would be in business. All that aside, it’s still a tasty bite, you can’t go wrong with meatballs and mozzarella. It’s probably something I wouldn’t order all the time, but when I’m in the mood it can still satisfy an itch.
★★★
Next Up: #58 – Apples, Brie, Onion, Dijon Mustard on a Pretzel Roll
Christian Yost 