Mac’s Italian Subs with rich provolone, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions, seasoned with salt and pepper on a toasted French baguette.
The first time my husband ever cooked me dinner was while we were “friends”. It is forever embedded in my memory – and not because it was the first meal he ever cooked me. He told me we were having Italian subs. I was so excited because he was totally speaking my love language. A nice marinara with meatballs, cheese, and bread! I was even more in love. That was until I walked into his kitchen to the smell of ground beef, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, provolone and LOTS of black pepper.
What is this? Italian subs? I don’t think so… Where did he grow up thinking an Italian sub had no sauce?? More importantly, was this another difference in opinion I would be able to live with the rest of my life if I married this guy? It reminded me of our first official date when he told me to dress up. So I did – nice black dress, heels, and makeup! Then arrived “dressed up”. He was wearing flip flops, jeans, and a button-down shirt. Umm… this was him dressed up? What? But I moved past his lack of, how do I say it, style. But with food, come on, don’t serve me an Italian sub that resembles nothing Italian, at least to me.
I was quickly converted once I tried my first bite. The melted provolone on top of a bed of green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and perfectly seasoned ground beef. There was no lack of flavor, and I learned that there is more than one way to prepare an Italian sub.
My husband has great childhood memories of visiting Utah with his family and grabbing Italian subs at a place called The Italian Place. That’s where he was strongly influenced in developing his perfected Italian sub. His key ingredient: black pepper. Lots and lots of black pepper. In fact, so much black pepper, you sneeze when you walk into the kitchen.
A 9-year marriage and 5 kids later, he has learned his wife does not love black pepper as he does, nor do his children. So he makes our batch first, and after everyone has been served, he adds even more black pepper to his own serving – more than I would ever like to handle.
We hope that you enjoy this just as much as my husband does but maybe with a little less pepper.
Enjoy XOXO San
How do you make Mac’s Italian Subs?
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In a large sauté pan, break apart the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Once completely cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
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Heat olive oil in pan until hot. Cook green peppers and onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until everything is tender.
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Add ground beef and let it cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat, season with more salt and pepper to taste, or just more pepper if you are like my husband. Set aside.
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Turn the oven to broil, slice French baguette in half, length and crosswise, butter all four pieces and place in oven until the top of the bread is toasted to a light golden brown.
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Remove from oven add meat and top with cheese, place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
If you love this recipe, be sure to try this Cheesy Italian Sausage & Pepper Stuffed Bread and Cheesy Pull Apart Italian Subs as well!
Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!
Mac’s Italian Subs
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 pound white button mushrooms sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 French baguette
- 8 slices Provolone cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, break apart the ground beef and season with salt and pepper to taste. Once completely cooked, remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in pan until hot. Cook green peppers and onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until everything is tender.
- Add ground beef and let it cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat, season with more salt and pepper to taste, or just more pepper if you are like my husband. Set aside.
- Turn the oven to broil, slice French baguette in half length and crosswise, butter all four pieces and place in oven until the top of the bread is toasted to a light golden brown.
- Remove from oven add meat and top with cheese, place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Kids Review: Aiden our oldest loves this. As for the rest, they like it, but it is a fight to get them to eat it. You know with the green peppers and all. We are to the point that we don’t even fight them, as we love the leftovers and I make them something else. I mean come on, I wouldn’t want this meal to be eaten unappreciated.
Oooh – I’m not a sub person but wow that looks REALLY yummy! I love how it’s all melted – pinning away!
Those look delish!
Oh these sounds so good. Around here Italian subs are filled with cold cuts, so I was confused when I saw the ground beef 🙂
Mmm Sandra this looks delicious! Like you I would normally think of a meatball marinara sub as an Italian sub – but this version looks tasty too. Ps. I love hearing about you’re dating days. How funny was your husband 😉
YUMMY! Pinned. 🙂
xo
Daniela
Put A Bird On It
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com
COOL!!! this is absolutely a dinner that all 3 guys in my family would like! Maybe tonight I can make this one meal and please everyone at once!
My husband would love this. I will definitely try it.
Those look delicious! Pinning now!
Seriously?! This looks like heaven!!
OH MY Can I Come To Your House For Dinner Looks So Yummy!!! Thank You!!
I love having people over! Anytime in you are in CO let me know. 🙂 San
Sandra, I love the story behind these subs (which sound pretty darn delicious!) My hubby is a big, big fan of black pepper, WAY more than I am! Thanks for sharing and pinning – have a happy and wonderful weekend!
Oh my goodness, those look so delicious! Drooling all over my keyboard.
How neat he made yours to your taste. sweet
Yum. This looks delish… And actually a nice balanced dinner that doesn’t take a ton of time!!!
I love subs and this looks heavenly!
Yum. It reminds me of a cheese steak, kind of.
Mac’s Italian Subs look delicious. I’ll have to try these out sometime with some gluten free bread.
Wow! That looks good!
Oh wow, now that’s a sandwich done right! Looks super tasty
hee hee. My husband and I are functional opposites too! He looooooves italian food so we’ll definitely have to try this out 🙂
Mmm, these sound delicious!
That looks really good.. might just have to give this a try!
This looks really great. I’m sure my hubby would love this! Thanks for sharing!
I’m open to pretty much anything that involves bread and cheese. This looks yummy!
this looks like a great meal idea- quick to make, lots of yum and I can add lots of veggies or pop a salad on the side!
I would be convinced too if I ate a sub that good. Your presentation and pictures add to the yumminess too.
They look absolutely delicious! I’m sure I will love them from the first bite. But like you, with less black pepper. Maybe I’ll switch the black to white pepper, all together…
Well we do love subs here! Definitely going to try this out 🙂
Oh my goodness – that italian sub looks delicious! I am definitely going to be trying this one out for my husband and I! 🙂
This is so mouth watering ,I m making it today .thanks for this wonderful recipe
These look yummy! I am going to pin this to have for later 🙂
Looks delicious! I will have to try these.
Yum! I’m drooling over this– what a great recipe!
That looks delicious, I am going to have to try this!
Mmmm sounds YUMMY!! I love Italian and it looks amazing to me!
this is a great dish when you forget to take something out of the freezer to defrost. Just run down to the market, pick up a few ingredients and voile’ a great meal. Add a salad and dinner is served! Thanks.