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Home » Blog » Sandwich Recipes » The Best Cheeseburger Sub

The Best Cheeseburger Sub

Cathy Roma Published: Jul 31, 2019

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Cheesy beef crumbles and all of your favorite toppings are piled high in the best cheeseburger sub you've ever had!
Cheesy beef crumbles and all of your favorite toppings are piled high in the best cheeseburger sub you’ve ever had!
Six Cheeseburger Subs on a wooden board with a chops, sub sauce and a skillet of potatoes on it.

So let’s talk cheeseburgers. We’ve eaten a million of them, grilled them, griddled them, stacked them, and topped them.

BUT, have you ever had a CHEESEBURGER SUB??

Overhead shot of two cheeseburger subs on plate with a glass of beer and chips scattered around.

The cheeseburger sub came on my radar back in college. The local sub shop served these up to starving students and they were especially popular after a long night of “studying” (AKA bar hopping). The long sub rolls were split and filled with this magical cheeseburger crumble, then topped with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onion and then doused with sub sauce.

They were messy, decadent, and wholly satisfying. And man did I miss them when I graduated. 

But no longer, because now I’ve decided to make them at home. And of course, share them with you!

The Best Cheeseburger Sub tied with a string on a plate with a glass of beer and another sub in the background.Let’s break it down…

  • The Roll: A sub roll, not a hamburger roll. Split top-wise so you don’t spill the goods and scooped so your bread to meat ratio is perfect. I toasted mine a bit, but it’s just as good soft and fresh.
  • The Cheeseburger Crumble: Browned ground meat, drained, and seasoned. The magic comes in because the cheese is mixed right into the meat and melted before being spooned into the roll.
  • The Condiments: A slick of mayo on the roll before the meat goes into adds taste and moisture. A spoon of sub sauce keeps it from being dry and adds that classic “sub flavor”.
  • The Toppings: Keeping it classic: shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and fresh raw onions (I break my “no raw onions rule” for this sub). And a good sprinkle of parm because it is a cheeseburger sub after all!

Let’s make The Best Cheeseburger Sub

Step by step photos showing home to make the best Cheeseburger Sub. Add the ground beef to the pan (1), add the onion (2), brown and add the cheese (3), mix until melted (4)
  1. Add the ground meat to a skillet and begin to cook over med/high heat.
  2. Add the chopped onion to the meat and stir well. Cook until browned and drain.
  3. Add the seasonings, worcestershire sauce, and cheese to the ground meat.
  4. Stir just until melted and turn off the heat.
Step by step photos showing home to make the best Cheeseburger Sub. Gather your toppings (5), add the beef to the bun (6), sprinkle with parm (7), add the toppings (8).
  1. Gather all of your toppings, smear the mayo on the scooped buns (grill the buns if you like), and whisk together the sub sauce.
  2. Spoon the meat into the prepared buns.
  3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  4. Add your toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and sliced onions. Gobble!!

Tips for success

  • Be sure to drain the ground beef well after it’s browned so the sandwiches aren’t greasy.
  • Use your favorites cheeses in this recipe. I like a combo for added flavor.
  • Like a toasty bun? Throw them on the grill for a few minutes before filling.
  • I prefer a top-split roll so everything doesn’t spill out as you eat it. Scooping out the excess bread in the center gives you that perfect meat:cheese ratio!
  • Go crazy with your toppings and don’t skip the sub sauce (you can buy it pre-made it you prefer). This sub is meant to be messy!!
Close of a cheeseburger sub on a plate tied with a white string with chips scattered around.

More Burger Love 

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4.8 from 5 votes
The Best Cheeseburger Sub tied with a string on a plate with a glass of beer and another sub in the background.
Print
The Best Cheeseburger Sub
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Cheesy beef crumbles and all of your favorite toppings are piled high in the best cheeseburger sub you’ve ever had!

Course: Main Dish/Sandwiches
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheeseburger, cheeseburger sub
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 1006 kcal
Author: Cathy Roma | What Should I Make For…
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 slices provolone cheese
  • 2 slices american cheese
  • 6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 long submarine rolls (6 inches each)
  • 1/2 cup mayonaise
Sub Sauce
  • 2 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
  • pinch of sugar
  • pinch of garlic powder
  • pinch of kosher salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Toppings
  • sliced tomatoes
  • shredded lettuce
  • sliced onion
  • grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Place the ground beef in a large nonstick skillet set over med/high height. Break up the beef and let it begin to brown.

  2. Add the onion and stir well. Let the beef brown, then drain off the fat. (I use a colander). 

  3. While the beef cooks, whisk together all the ingredients for the sub sauce.

  4. Season the beef well, add the worcestershire sauce, and then add in the cheese. Stir until it begins to melt. Turn off the heat.

  5. Split each roll lengthwise on top, but don’t cut fully through the bottom. Scoop out some of the bread from the middle and spread each sub roll with some mayonnaise.

  6. Divide the beef between the rolls. Drizzle with sub sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and onion and serve.

Recipe Notes
  • Be sure to drain the ground beef well after it’s browned so the sandwiches aren’t greasy.
  • Use your favorites cheeses in this recipe. I like a combo for added flavor.
  • Like a toasty bun? Throw them on the grill for a few minutes before filling.
  • I prefer a top-split roll so everything doesn’t spill out as you eat it. Scooping out the excess bread in the center gives you that perfect meat:cheese ratio!
  • Go crazy with your toppings and don’t skip the sub sauce (you can buy it pre-made it you prefer). This sub is meant to be messy!!
Nutrition Facts
The Best Cheeseburger Sub
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1006 Calories from Fat 648
% Daily Value*
Fat 72g111%
Saturated Fat 26g163%
Cholesterol 185mg62%
Sodium 1689mg73%
Potassium 599mg17%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 49g98%
Vitamin A 445IU9%
Vitamin C 1.3mg2%
Calcium 395mg40%
Iron 14.8mg82%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
58

Main Dish Recipes, Recipe, Sandwich Recipes cheeseburger sub, ground beef, toppings, burger, cheese, cheeseburger, sandwich, sub, submarine

About Cathy Roma

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brian Kerfien says

    October 27, 2021 at 8:53 am

    Cathy. Are they as good as the sub shop and do you have a version of oswego sub shop crushed pepper sauce?

    Reply
  2. Brian Kerfien says

    October 27, 2021 at 8:57 am

    5 stars
    And we were at Oz same time. Nothing better than an OSS after a phi lamb party or jeff kieth and mike at the patch on tuesdays. Thats why i will defo try your version.

    Reply
  3. Jamie says

    January 29, 2023 at 9:32 pm

    Any chance this is from the oswego sub shop in oswego NY? I’m sitting on my couch in Atlanta, Georgia looking for a recipe of my old college favorite!

    Reply
    • Cathy Roma says

      January 31, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      This is my riff on that sub from the Oswego sub shop. I’m an oswego state alum as well and this was our go to!

    • Sara Romeo says

      July 9, 2023 at 9:44 pm

      I am also an Oswego State alum and was looking for the recipe! I’ve been craving it!

    • Cathy Roma says

      July 11, 2023 at 10:02 pm

      I can’t promise the same wonderfully greasy sub, but I hope it conjures a memory.

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HEY THERE, I’M CATHY.

My food philosophy is simple: everything in moderation. Sweet, savory, healthy, decadent…food, like life, is all about balance. I rely on my background as a trained chef/mom to create family-friendly recipes that will inspire you to cook, not complicate your life.

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