Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sandwiches (family style)
1 lb ground chicken (you can do this with sausage, ground pork, ground beef or any combination!)
1 slice white sandwich bread, crusts removed
3 Tb buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
fresh mozzarella
pizza/spaghetti sauce (jarred or homemade)
1 loaf french bread
Tear your slice of bread into tiny bits into a bowl. Pour buttermilk over the bread bits and mash together into a paste. Add the rest of the meatball ingredients and mix well. Form large meatballs: a little larger than a golf ball. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Cut your loaf of french bread in half lengthwise (making a top and bottom, like a giant hoagie bun). Pull out some of the middle of the bread on each side, making each one a bit of a bowl shape. (This gives you a better bread to meatball ratio, and holds the meatballs better!) Butter generously and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven under the broiler. Keep an eye on it, and pull it out when the middle gets lightly toasted, before the edges burn.
Place as many of your meatballs as you can fit in the bowl of the bottom piece of bread. Cover with slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven under the broiler to melt the cheese (keep an eye on the edges of your bread again!) Pull out when melted and getting little browned bits on top. Cover with your sauce. Place the top piece of bread on, and cut the whole thing into sections, as big or little as you want your sandwiches. Serve hot!