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Focaccia Meatball Sandwich

Focaccia Meatball Sandwich

This focaccia meatball sandwich is the ultimate comfort food. The meatballs are moist, flavorful and fried to perfection before being finished in a bright homemade marinara sauce. The sharp olive tapenade and sauteed vegetables beautifully compliment the tender meatballs, while the fluffy focaccia with it's salty oily crust perfectly round out this delicious dish. This is not a sandwich: this is a meal.
4.92 from 36 votes
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Course: dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: breaded, focaccia, marinara, meatball, olives, rosemary, tapinade
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rising time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 9 people
Calories: 889kcal
Author: Anneke Silva

Equipment

  • Kitchen Aid Mixer with dough hook
  • Pan
  • Spatula
  • Food Processor
  • Kitchen knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • Heavy Bottomed Pan
  • Wooden spoon
  • Large Bowl
  • 3 tablespoon cookie scoop

Ingredients

Focaccia Bread

  • 1 3/4 cups Warm water
  • 2 1/4 tsp Yeast
  • 1 tbsp White sugar
  • 5 cups All purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp Kosher salt
  • 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp Coarse sea salt
  • 2 Sprigs fresh Rosemary

Meatballs

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 cup Breadcrumbs unseasoned
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Regianno grated
  • 1 tsp Chili flakes optional
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Onion powder
  • 3/4 cup Water lukewarm
  • 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

Marinara Sauce

  • 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 680 ml Passata
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 4-5 Basil leaves
  • 2 Garlic cloves

Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

  • 8 Crimini mushrooms
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 Shallot
  • 2 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup Spinach

Olive Tapenade

  • 1 cup Pitted Kalamata olives
  • 1/3 cup Sundried tomatoes
  • 1 Shallot
  • 1/2 cup Finely grated Parmesan
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Lemon juice
  • 1 pinch Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Focaccia Bread

  • Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes until bubling.
    Combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes until bubling.
  • Using a mixer with a dough hook combine the flour, salt, yeast mixture and half the olive oil on low for several minutes until it starts to pull together.
  • After the dough comes together, kneed for another 5 minutes on medium then transfer it to a floured board.
    After the dough comes together, kneed for another 5 minutes on medium then transfer it to a floured board.
  • Kneed a few times then transfer to an oiled bowl.
    Kneed a few times then transfer to an oiled bowl.
  • Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place (ideally the stove top) for an hour.
    Cover the bowl and leave it in a warm place (ideally the stove top) for an hour.
  • Pour the rest of the olive oil into the pan, place the dough in it, and turn it over so it’s covered it oil
  • Stretch the dough out to an 8 x 10 inch rectangle.
  • Press your fingers into the dough and poke holes without going all the way through.
    Press your fingers into the dough and poke holes without going all the way through.
  • Leave the dough in a warm place to rise for an hour and pre heat the oven to 425 F.
  • Before placing the dough in the oven, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and rosemary.
    Before placing the dough in the oven, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with the coarse sea salt and rosemary.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden on top and hollow to the tap.
    Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden on top and hollow to the tap.

Meatballs

  • Put the ground beef, minced garlic, egg, grated Parmesean, onion powder, Kosher salt, pepper, and chili flakes (if desired) in a bowl and mix gently with your fingers.
    Put the ground beef, minced garlic, egg, grated Parmesean, onion powder, Kosher salt, pepper, and chili flakes (if desired) in a bowl and mix gently with your fingers.
  • Add your bread crumbs to the bowl and mix gently.
  • Slowly add the lukewarm water and combine with your fingers. Your mixture will be very moist, but should still hold it’s shape if rolled into meatballs.
    Slowly add the lukewarm water and combine with your fingers. Your mixture will be very moist, but should still hold it’s shape if rolled into meatballs.
  • Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan. I like to use my Le Creuset braiser which browns the meat beautifully while still allowing for a clean release.
  • Turn your stove to medium high.
  • When the oil is glistening, portion out your meatballs and place them into the pan with some room between them. I like to make 3 tablespoon sized meatballs using a cookie scoop.
  • Cook for about 5 minutes, until the meatball is browned and released easily from the pan, then turn them over to brown on the other side.
  • Cook for another 3 minutes until they are browned and release easily.

Marinara Sauce and Meatballs

  • Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the rest of the minced garlic to the pan with the meatballs, then pour in the passata and the rest of the Kosher salt and mix.
    Add 1/4 cup of olive oil and the rest of the minced garlic to the pan with the meatballs, then pour in the passata and the rest of the Kosher salt and mix.
  • Turn the heat to medium low, cover the pan, and leave the meatballs and sauce to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Shred the basil leaves and mix them into the meatballs and marinara before serving.
    Toss in the basil leaves and mix.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Spinach

  • Warm the olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
  • Slice the mushrooms and dice the shallot.
    Slice the mushrooms and dice the shallot.
  • Add them to the pan with the oil and cook for 5 minutes
    Add them to the pan with the oil and cook for 5 minutes
  • Dice the garlic.
  • Add the garlic and spinach to the mushrooms and shallot and cook for another 2 minutes.
    Add the garlic and spinach to the mushrooms and shallot and cook for another 2 minutes.

Olive Tapenade

  • Place all the tapenade ingredients in the food processor and pulse until combined.
    Place all the tapenade ingredients in the food processor and pulse until combined.

Nutrition

Calories: 889kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 2042mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 927IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 212mg | Iron: 7mg