Crockpot Meatball Sub

These Crockpot Meatball Subs are made with a crusty baguette, hearty marinara sauce, juicy slow cooker meatballs, and gooey mozzarella cheese!

Grease 6 quart crockpot with cooking spray, then add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, butter, onion, garlic, salt, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and pepper.
Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.

Stir together buttermilk and cubed bread in a large bowl and allow to soak for 10 minutes.
Add in yellow onion, garlic, parmesan, egg yolks, salt, oregano, and basil and mix until combined. Set aside.
Gently incorporate the finely minced bacon, ground beef, and ground pork, using your hands so you don’t over-mix.
Once fully combined, store the meatball mixture, covered, in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Place oven rack on the top rung, and preheat the oven broiler, then line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat and set aside.
Using a large cookie scoop*, scoop out 36 meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet.
Broil for 8 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through (keep an eye on them as broiler temperatures can vary). The tops should be nicely browned and the internal temperature should be about 160 degrees F.
After the sauce has cooked for 7 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH, add the meatballs into your crockpot and cover the meatballs with the sauce.
Set the crockpot to HIGH and cook for 1 additional hour, then taste and re-season, if necessary.