Handheld meatball sub sandwiches toasted to perfection over the campfire!
A cast iron pie iron takes an easy camping dinner of meatball subs to the next level. The garlic Texas Toast gets toasty and crispy over the campfire and is stuffed with all the fillings of a meatball sandwich.
After experimenting with different types of “bread” alternatives for the outside layer of hobo pies, I’ve found the possibilities of full meals that can be cooked in pie irons to be endless. You can see all the variations I’ve tried in the green box below.
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Meatball Sub HOBO Pie Ingredients
- Bread : You can use any kind of bread in this sandwich, but thick garlic bread (like Texas Toast) makes this sandwich SO good!
- Meatballs: We pre-make and freeze small meatballs before our trip, but you can also buy pre-made meatballs.
- Sauce: Packing a jar of spaghetti sauce saves space in the cooler.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese melts perfectly to create an awesome cheese pull!
- Butter: If you use pre-made garlic bread, there’s not need to add any butter. If you use other bread, you can use butter or substitute mayonnaise on the outside of the bread for a wonderful toasty crust.
a note from Jenny
Meatball subs hobo pies are one of my favorite dinners. My husband is the meatball maker in our house, so this makes this recipe even better because I can ask him to make the meatballs before our trip and it takes one prep task off of my to-do list!
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Equipment To Make Pie Iron CHILI CHEESE DOG SANDWICHES
Cast Iron Pie Iron (Camp Cooker): Pie irons are made of aluminum or cast iron, but I highly recommend using cast iron as they withstand much higher temperatures for longer periods of time.
However, aluminum pie irons do not require seasoning and can be cleaned like all other dishes, so there are benefits to using them as well.
- Round cast iron camp cooker
- Square cast iron camp cooker
- Double cast iron camp cooker – allows you to make twice as many sandwiches with half the work prepping and cleaning!
- Aluminum pie iron camp cooker – although I don’t like the way they cook as much, they are easier to use because they don’t need to be seasoned and can be cleaned like all your other dishes.
Portable Over the Fire Cooking Grate: While cooking in hot coals or embers is ideal for cast iron pie irons, you can also cook over a fire by using a fire grill grate. It’s perfect for a wide variety of campfire pits and can easily be adapted to work at your site.
It’s also great if you just started your fire and want to get cooking right away! Simply place your pie irons on the grate and turn halfway through cooking.
Steps to Make Campfire Meatball Sandwiches
In this section you’ll find a step by step tutorial of how to make this recipe with photos. The full recipe with exact measurements, steps and a printable card can be found at the bottom of the post.
Scroll to see step by step photos ->
1. Prep the pies
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Skip this step if you’re using pre-made garlic bread. Place one piece of bread with the butter side down into one half of the pie iron.
2. Assemble the pies
Scoop some sauce on the bread and spread it out evenly. Add meatballs (cut large meatballs in half) and then add a slice of cheese on top. Top with another piece of bread, butter side up, and close the pie iron.
3. Cook over campfire
There are two options when cooking with a pie iron: in the coals or over the flame. I find that cooking in the coals is faster, but sometimes can result in over cooking/burning more easily. Cooking on a grate over the fire is usually a few minutes slower, but you have a bit more control over the temperature.
- Hot coals: Place pie iron directly in the hot coals and embers from your fire. If your fire has been going for awhile, simply pull a pile of coals a bit to the side and place the camp cooker on those hot coals.
- Over the flame: Use a grill grate to create a flat cooking surface over the fire. Place the camp cooker on the grate and let it cook.
4. Enjoy!
Remove the sandwich from the pie iron and enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this easy camping dinner as much as my kids do. They’ve already requested that this dinner makes it on our camping menu for our next trip!
Meatball Sub Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 8 slices Texas Toast
- 2 tbsp garlic butter
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 4 slices Mozzarella cheese
- 12 miniature meatballs (or 6 large meatballs)
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the pie iron with cooking spray.
- Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. (If using pre-prepared garlic bread, skip this step.) Place one piece of bread, butter side down, into one half of the pie iron.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce on top of the bread. Add 3 small meatballs (but large meatballs in half).
- Lay a piece of Mozzarella cheese on top of the meatballs. Top with a second slice of cheese and a slice of bread, butter side up.
- Close the pie iron and cook over a campfire elevated on a grate or in campfire coals.
- Cook long enough for the outside of the bread to toast up and to heat the contents of the sandwich and melt the cheese. This usually takes about 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.