Meatless Monday: Chickpea Meatballs

It’s Monday which means… it’s time for another recipe! I love celebrating Meatless Monday, especially because it’s usually one of the only weekdays that I have free during the summer to cook.

This week, we’re cooking up one of my personal favorite recipes — chickpea meatball subs.

When I first mentioned this recipe to my boyfriend, he immediately said no. So what did I do? I made it anyway.

And guess what? He LOVED them. Loved them so much that he even told me he’d rather eat these than regular meatballs.

Here’s what you need for this meatless meatball sandwich (readjusted from the Back to Her Roots Recipe):

For the Chickpea Meatballs

• Cooking Spray
• 1-15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4-5 leafs of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Sandwiches

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 hoagie rolls
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°. Prepare your baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray and setting aside.
2. In a food processor or kitchen aid mixer, combine all chickpea meatball ingredients. Pulse or mix until the chickpeas are mashed and the mixture has enough texture to be formed into balls.
3. Divide your mixture into 10-12 meatballs. After placing the chickpea meatballs on your prepared baking sheet, spray the tops of the meatballs with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs have a crunchy and golden-brown color.
4. Meanwhile, heat marinara sauce in a saucepan. This can be homemade or store bought. Cook until sauce is just warmed through—between 3-5 minutes, then remove from heat.
5. When chickpea meatballs are complete, remove from oven and turn on the broiler. Gently place the chickpea meatballs into the already heated marinara sauce.
6. Slice a slit into each hoagie roll and place on a baking sheet. Spoon three-four chickpea meatballs into each roll.
7. Top each sandwich with an even amount of mozzarella cheese. Broil in over for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted, browned and looking like they’re ready to eat!