Chicken Pizza Meatball Sandwiches

I really enjoyed developing this recipe for Chicken Pizza Meatball Sandwiches. I saw on Simply Healthy Family that chicken can be shredded using a Kitchen Aid mixer. I thought if chicken could be shredded that easily, a food processor would break it up even finer. This gave me the idea to develop chicken meatballs and naturally thought to make them into an Italian sandwich.

Obviously chicken meatballs are healthier and leaner than beef. The mild chicken flavor also matches the Italian flavors very well. If you are a gifted bread maker, you can always make your own bread, but I usually just use the shortcut of bakery bread for this recipe. My mom calls that "homemade from Kroger."

Meatball Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (about 1+ lb.)

1/2 c parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp basil

ground black pepper (10+ grinds)

Marinara Sauce Ingredients

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Misc. Ingredients

olive oil

2 large crusty baguettes (from the bakery or homemade)

fresh spinach leaves (optional, but a great way to sneak in a dark green)

mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced

Boil chicken until cooked through, cool.* Pulse cooled chicken in food processor until it is a fine meal (pictured above). Add the rest of the meatball ingredients to the food processor and blend to combine. Shape into 24 meatballs, roll or brush with a small amount of olive oil and put onto a lined baking sheet (I use a silicone mat). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown and firm.

While the meatballs are cooking, combine the marinara ingredients and warm on the stove or in the microwave. To make sandwiches divide each baguette into 3 pieces (6 total) and split open without cutting all the way through the bread. In the baguette layer a small amount of marinara sauce, a thin layer of spinach, four meatballs, more marinara sauce,** and top with cheese. Return to the oven under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and toast the bread, if desired.

Additional Notes
*Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken would work perfectly in this recipe.
**Instead of layering the marinara and meatballs, you could carefully stir the cooked meatballs into the warm marinara sauce and then put them into the sandwiches.