Make-Ahead Pizza Subs with Ground Beef
Picture opening the fridge on a busy weeknight and finding a dozen pizza subs already wrapped and waiting. This make-ahead recipe simmers ground beef in pizza sauce, spoons it into soft sub rolls under a heap of mozzarella and wraps each one up, so anybody in the house can grab one and heat it in about a minute. Some folks call them beef pizza rolls, and they eat like a pizza-flavored Sloppy Joe that actually stays in the bun. Four ingredients and about 25 minutes fill your fridge for days.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Pizza Rolls
- Serves: 12
- Main Ingredients: ground beef, shredded mozzarella cheese, dozen sub rolls, 15-oz jars pizza sauce
- Why You'll Love It: These homemade pizza rolls are like Sloppy Joes with a pizza twist! In our soft sub rolls, we add ground beef cooked in pizza sauce and lots of melted mozzarella cheese.
My mama used to make these when she and Daddy went out of town. With a batch of these in the fridge and a little extra money for anything unexpected, she could leave for the weekend confident we wouldn’t starve. I still make them on Fridays and when the Super Bowl is coming up, because a fridge full of pizza subs means I get the weekend off from cooking.
Why These Pizza Subs Work for Make-Ahead Meals
Cooking the beef right in the pizza sauce until it’s bubbly gives you a thick, meaty filling that stays put in the bun instead of soaking through. I like a sturdy sub roll here for the same reason. Thinner bread gets soggy after a day in the fridge, but a good hoagie-style roll holds up for days.
Buying rolls that aren’t sliced lets you cut them like a hot dog bun, not quite all the way through, so the filling stays tucked inside when you wrap them.
Ingredients for Pizza Subs
- Sub rolls: Unsliced hoagie or sub rolls are best. Save the bag they come in for storing the wrapped subs.
- Pizza sauce: Jarred pizza or marinara sauce works, or use my quick pizza sauce from scratch.
- Ground beef: Italian sausage or ground turkey work too, and you can stir in chopped pepperoni once the beef is browned.
- Mozzarella: Mix in a little parmesan if you like.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below. Halve everything for six subs.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Drain the beef well before the sauce goes in so the filling isn’t greasy.
- Sautéed onions and bell peppers are a good addition to the skillet along with the beef.
- Set up an assembly line: slice all the rolls, fill them all, top them all with cheese, then wrap.
- For a crisp bun, unwrap the sub, open it up and run it under the broiler or in the air fryer for a few minutes.
How to Make Pizza Subs
1Cook the Beef in Pizza Sauce
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, and drain off the grease. Stir in both jars of pizza sauce and cook on medium until bubbly.
2Slice the Rolls
Slice each roll like a hot dog bun, stopping before you cut all the way through.
3Fill with Beef
Spoon the beef mixture into each roll.
4Top with Mozzarella
Pile shredded mozzarella over the filling.
5Wrap Each Sub
Wrap each sub tightly in plastic wrap and tuck the ends underneath.
6Store and Reheat
Slide the wrapped subs back into the bag the rolls came in and refrigerate. When you want one, unwrap it and microwave for about a minute.
What to Serve with Pizza Subs
A basket of parmesan oven fries turns these into a full supper, and something crunchy and cool on the side balances all that cheese. My go-tos are 3-ingredient vinegar slaw or a scoop of sweet and tangy burger slaw. Warm marinara or ranch for dipping never hurts either.
For a game day spread, set them out with a tray of pepperoni and bacon pizza pinwheels and a few more picks from my 40+ game day recipes.
Pizza Subs FAQs
How long do pizza subs keep in the fridge?
Wrapped tight and stored in the roll bag, they keep for up to 4 days, which covers a long weekend or most of a school week of lunches.
Can I freeze pizza subs?
They freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave, oven or air fryer. A little garlic butter brushed on before reheating gives them a garlic bread finish.
Can I use crescent rolls instead of sub rolls?
Crescent dough works for a smaller, thinner version if you’ll eat them right away. For make-ahead subs, I stick with thick rolls because the sauce doesn’t seep through in the fridge.
Make-Ahead Pizza Subs with Ground Beef
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 dozen sub rolls
- 2 15-oz jars pizza sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown the beef over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces, until no longer pink. Drain off any grease.2 lbs ground beef
- Add both jars of pizza sauce to the beef. Stir and cook on medium until bubbly.2 15-oz jars pizza sauce
- Slice each roll almost all the way through, like a hot dog bun. Spoon in the beef mixture, top with cheese and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 dozen sub rolls
- Slide the wrapped subs back into the bag the rolls came in and refrigerate.
- When ready to eat, unwrap a sub and microwave for about 1 minute.
Okay I made these last night along with the top to bottom ham and cheese sandwhiches for a UFC party, and I must say, “WOW!” They were delicious. I did fancy them up a little bit though. I added a lot of garlic to the ground beef while it was browning; I added a touch of sugar to the final pizza sauce (I like my Italian sauces a little on the sweet side); I used provolone cheese on the sandwhich and topped it with mozzerella; and finally I added 4 pieces of pepperoni to each sandwhich before filling with the meat; They were so delicious that everybody was asking for the recipe; my family was fighting for the last one in the fridge today (I won.) You’re a goddes, Christy.
Oh goodness, that sounds delicious!! I am so glad everything was such a hit!!
These were great!! My kids loved them and especially my dh! I had made some homemade pizza sauce yesterday so I used that all up 🙂 I also added some sauteed onions and green peppers for me and dh, thanks for a wonderful and super easy recipe!
Christy,
this sounds like something I would like a lot. I wonder how it would be with browned Italian sausage made like ground meat crumbled? That sounds nice to me. I would like other stuff in it too, like pepperoni, Italian seasoning, with loads of mozzarella, etc.
I am so happy with your Southern Plate. Com. I made your fried pork chops today in the House Autry Hush Puppy seasoning. Yummy! Thanks for sharing such delicious sounding recipes.
Lord bless you and your family,
Linda
I think it would work great using those ingredients Linda!
Hi Christy, these sound like something my family would love. I was wondering if you had tried freezing them and how well they held up if frozen. Looks to me like everything would. They would make great take-to-work lunches. I may make them and put one in the freezer to try……love your site!!!! I am disabled, but have always loved to cook. It’s not so easy anymore to do sometimes, so quick and easy is what I’m looking for.
After reading today’s issue of Southern Plate… my mouth is drooling with the cake recipes!… but back to the issue… after reading today’s issue, I just HAD to come here and find the comment from anonymous… if your looking for it too, you have to click on the “older” comments.
I won’t condemn anonymous for his/her comments, as he/she was just trying to put others onto a healthier way of eating. Now why would I say that? Well, when I first signed up for Southern Plate, I had some major medical issues, but none involving cholesterol or heart problems or diabetes. But back in February, I was diagnosed with diabetes. For those of you who don’t really know this disease, it’s one of the WORST FRICKIN THINGS TO GET. You have to not only stab yourself for blood up to 5+ times a day to test your glucose (sugar) levels, but you have to change your whole way of eating. Meaning… everything you love to eat is either off your menu list or you can have it, but in the tiniest teeniest portion, like only being able to have 1/2 a serving of a SMALL French fry, or 1/2 of a hamburger bun, etc. Who can eat 1/2 of a SMALL ORDER OF FRIES? I can’t, so now I just don’t have them. Your doctor normally sends you to a NUTRITIONIST AND A DIABETIC NURSE, where you are then instructed on how to EAT HEALTH SO AS NOT TO HAVE SOME OF YOUR LIMBS CUT OFF OR DIE.
I don’t want any limbs cut off and I just had my 1st grandchild, so I don’t want to die either… so now I watch every morsel put into my mouth. Why did I become diabetic? It could be a “gene” thing passed on from family, but my personal belief is that it is because I ate anything I wanted to eat at any time. I put on 45 pounds doing that over a 10 year period. But now that I’ve lost weight by watching what I eat, my blood sugar levels are becoming more normal. Will I ever be free of diabetes? NO! ONCE A DIABETIC, ALWAYS A DIABETIC.
So even though I really shouldn’t eat most of what is published here, I can eat it but in the smallest of small portions. I have learned PORTION CONTROL. Instead of pigging out & eating an entire dessert in 2 – 3 days, I now make that dessert last me a week or more.
So as to anonymous, I agree, yet disagree, but none of us should condemn he/she. My diabetes has shown me that. I wish no ill health concerns on any one. If your healthy now but eat like a pig, or don’t care about what your eating, you’ll pay for it in the end. The question is, IS IT WORTH IT? Enjoy the recipes here, BUT IN MODERATION! And for your children’s sake, keep all of this info in mind. No one should wish any health problems on their children, so by teaching yourself and your children how to eat healthy, you will ALL be healthy. (my friends daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes at age 12… she died at age 16 and now I understand what she went through)
POINT: What we eat now can kill us later. Make the recipes here, but substitute some ingredients with healthier stuff, such as I now don’t buy sugar, I buy Splenda which tastes just like sugar but which is so much more expensive, but that’s my fault for giving myself diabetes.
Christy, don’t be mad at me or anonymous for our comments. Maybe anonymous is like me… healthy at first, but ate foods that contributed to something like heart disease or diabetes. I not only subscribe to Southern Plate, but to numerous other food websites, including ones for diabetics that shows us how to convert a recipe such as some here at this website, to healthier versions for us diabetics. But I honestly think you don’t want to hear that. Sorry, no offense is sent your way, but I do see a resentment in your words in your articles for those who make any attempt to mention how un-healthy a recipe of yours maybe. If I didn’t want your newsletters, I’d unsubscribe, but I haven’t, because I’ve learned how to convert your recipes into healthier ones for myself and my family and friends. And honestly, healthier substitutes make the recipe taste just as good. So Southern Plate can not only have delicious recipes, but healthy ones, for those of us who care about our bodies. Going to go slap myself now for posting this… OUCH.
Hey Mary ,
I was reading a book and checked my comments and saw this one and it took me a minute to figure out where it came from, lol. Then I noticed it was on Pizza rolls and had a lightbulb moment. I decided to open up my computer and respond to you (and also not check my comments anymore when I’m reading a book , lol)
First of all, your comment is nothing like the anonymous one. You’ll note a good level of unkindness there in that one and also something you can’t see but i can (because comments show IP addresses) is that anonymous was a one hit wonder. Showed up, left a nasty comment on the only post they’d read, and left.
Your comment shows clear thought and effort to be kind while making a point you feel personally convicted to make. I respect that and appreciate your kindness and the validity of your points.
I would like to add that I agree wholeheartedly with your moderation as that is how I eat myself and have mentioned a few times on Southern Plate that when I make a dessert, I take out four pieces (one for each of us) and give the rest to neighbors, people at school, church, outside family, etc. Still, some people (not in any way implying you-please know that!) will read today’s post and get it in their head that I’m making six cakes for my family of four to eat this weekend.
I also hope you will check out my posts on “Diet Friendly-er Southern Recipes” where I list that I, actually, don’t eat sugar desserts beyond a bite or two and explain the recipes that I use Splenda in as well. There is also a section in my cookbook where I talk about all of the recipes in the book that are Splenda Friendly. I had to fight to get that in the final published book but did so because it was very important to me personally. I don’t even use sugar in my tea, as I’ve mentioned on the site also.
On the very first recipe I ever posted, I use splenda and talk about it throughout the post https://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/homemade-banana-pudding-tutorial.html
As for you sensing resentment in my words I really hate that you feel that way. It can be often difficult to put as much as I do into a website and offer it free to everyone and then from time to time get a very nasty email attacking me or saying something ugly about my children or family out of the blue (like all mothers, talk about my kids and my teeth come out pretty quick). It would make your hair stand on end the things I’ve received. As a result, I can be defensive or make an attempt to make light of making a dessert on Southern Plate knowing that someone is going to decide I’ve made those six cakes and plan on feeding my children nothing but this entire weekend :). Then that someone will send me an email that is so nasty I honestly don’t think you or I would even be capable of writing such a thing. If not for the grace God has shown me, I would not be able to deal with such matters on a daily basis. (Keep in mind that this website gets over 20 million hits a month so you can imagine the wide variances of nasty people I’ve had to deal with – although I am thrilled to say that I have seen, firsthand, that 90% of the worlds population is made up of really good hearted folks). I appreciate you telling me you were sent here to find the comment based on today’s post. That got me to investigating it and found what sent you here, a comment I made in another post from three years ago. Wow, I’ve come a long way in three years, thank goodness! Had I not, I would have never been able to hang in here. I’m going back to that post now and taking out the line that sent you here. It really was more stinging and hurt feelings than resentment, because back then I let nasty folks get to my heart. Here is the line I just deleted from the Butterfinger Cake Post, made three years ago “You know, it just kills me when folks come to my blog and expect to find health food. Alright, so far only one person has remarked about it and I am certain he/she really needed a life. Still, for entertainment purposes y’all go look at comments under Pizza Rolls.” Nowadays I would have just ignored it, but back then, just two months after i had started blogging, it was very hurtful. Also, back then my blog was read mostly by folks I knew who knew my sense of humor.
If you’ll notice, I never did respond to Anonymous. That came at a time where I was just getting my legs about me with this whole blogging thing and i didn’t know how to respond with grace – so didn’t respond at all. I’m much more used to the occasional negative comment now and still have a policy of handling it with grace or not at all. Please not that I don’t consider someone offering a healthy substitution a negative comment- as long as it is done with kindness.
I work very hard on SouthernPlate.com and I consider it a wonderful blessing and my goal is to love everyone who comes here and show them kindness. Sometimes I am better at that than others but I am so tragically human, like all of us, and will of course fail even when striving not to from time to time.
I’m glad you are taking my recipes and making them your own and I thank you for being a great part of the family and for the obvious care you took in writing your comment 🙂
I am also very sorry you are having this struggle with Diabetes. I know it is frightening and my heart and prayers are with you.
Instead of slapping yourself, just go make yourself some sugar free banana pudding or a nice cup of coffee 🙂
Your kindness hasn’t offended me 🙂
Gratefully,
Christy
This is just like the television…..if you don’t like what is on, turn it off and find something else. If the recipes don’t suit you, go to another site of gluten free, peanut free, sugar free, or whatever. So sick of people who are rude, nasty, and are bullies!
Christy I have to say you are one real lady and God bless you.
Thank you Bonnie, may God bless you as well!
As a diabetic myself, always check the nutritional info on bread products and subtract any fiber from the carb count and just know that these products can vary greatly on carb counts. Sub rolls will be a lot higher in carbs than hot dog buns and some hot dog buns can be under 15 grams of carbs which is a single serving in the diabetic diet. Try to use wheat or sourdough buns as they are processed better in our bodies. Also, jarred sauce can vary greatly in carb content so always look and try to find the lowest count. When on sale, I will buy the lowest carb jar of Classico spaghetti sauce as they can double as canning jars using regular lids and rings. You can also make this vegetarian by using Boca or Morningstar Farms frozen crumble in place of ground beef/turkey. I used to use these in place of ground beef in my crock pot as there is no browning required. I now brown up tons of ground beef when it’s on sale and store in freezer bags in my freezer and will also buy bone-in chicken breast when on sale and cook in the crock pot with a can of chicken broth and then shred it and freeze in freezer bags like the ground beef. Also, use 2% shredded cheese to lower fat content if you like. Me, I buy 96% ground beef and use full fat cheese as I prefer the “melty” factor of full fat. Hope this helps anyone considering “healthifying” this or other recipes. Love this recipe because I have fibromyalgia and arthritis and this makes meals easier when I don’t feel up to cooking.
These were very good. I made them with leftover pasta sauce and hot dog buns. Economical and yummy!
Made these this morning for dinner tonight; wrapped them in tin foil and then popped them in the oven for 15 minutes-turned out perfect! 🙂 All three of my kids LOVE them and requested them every week from now on! Thank you for the recipe!!