The One Where the Meatball Sandwich Steals the Show

Welcome to Friends with Food Episode #20! Listen here. Our friends Claire Rice and Neil Higgins of FMKLit Pod join us for this episode! Claire Rice is a writer, director, and podcaster whose work can often be seen at any Awesome Theatre production in San Francisco. She writes plays where women kill for love and/or revenge, she reads books where people find love in all the wrong places, and she watches true crime, true romance, true exploitation, true trash, and true classics. Neil Higgins is an actor, writer, director, Artistic Director of non-profit LGBTQ+ theatre company Left Coast Theatre, podcaster, and general scamp. Claire and Neil are the creators of the hilarious FMKLit Podcast where they read two romance novels (a straight one and a queer one) and then they play fuck, marry, kill with the characters. Give it a listen!

In this episode we cover Friends Season 5 Episode 20, The One with the Ride Along. This episode originally aired on April 29nd, 1999. Our favorite track No Scrubs was still number one! In movie news, Catherine Zeta-Jones was sliding her skinny booty past lasers in Entrapment.

And now, I must insist that you gaze upon these beautiful cakes baked by the incredible Neil Higgins!! Below you shall find: Raspberry Moscow Mule Cake, Citrus Cake with Tequila Lime Frosting, Vanilla Caramel Cake with Caramel Buttercream, and Spiced Vanilla Chai Cake.

Rachel enjoys her tequila sans cake.

the meatball sandwich

It had to be the sandwich! This sandwich has main character energy and I immediately knew it was the star of the show! Plus Joey REALLY sold me on the idea during this episode! Please enjoy this delicious, beautiful mess of a sandwich.

for the sauce:

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes

white onion

4 tablespoons butter

salt

fresh ground black pepper

for the meatballs:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1/2 cup ricotta

1/2 white onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley or basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake

1 teaspoon salt

fresh ground black pepper

olive oil

for the sandwich:

french bread or sturdy hoagie roll

garlic butter, optional**

8oz fresh mozzarella, sliced

grated parmesan, optional

To make garlic butter, place two tablespoons butter in a small jar or microwave safe bowl. Add one clove grated garlic and microwave for 30 seconds.

Make the sauce. Put the canned tomatoes in a medium saucepan, crushing them in your hands as you go (this will result in a nice chunky texture for your sauce). Peel the onion and cut it through the equator (so there is a top and bottom half). Add one half to the pot along with the butter (grate the other half of the onion and reserve for the meatballs). Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the onion half and discard. Check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Sauce can be made several days ahead, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to six months.

While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 325F. Put all the ingredients except for the oil in a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a fork or your hands until everything is combined, but don’t overmix or it could lead to a tougher texture. Form the meatballs into 8-10 large balls and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roast for 20 minutes. A thermometer inserted into the meatballs should read 155F or higher. Meatballs can be made several days ahead, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Add the meatballs to the sauce over medium low heat. If you have made the components ahead, reheat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are heated through. Split two hoagies or 8in lengths of baguette. [Optional: Brush the inside of the rolls with olive oil or garlic butter and place each in a pan, buttered side down, and toast over medium heat for a few minutes until golden brown (unless your pan is very large you may need to do this one at a time.] Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper and place the bread on it, open sides up. Load each roll up with half the meatballs and plenty of tomato sauce. Place the sliced mozzarella on top and put the pan under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Keep an eye on things and if the edges of bread are getting too dark and the cheese isn’t melty enough yet cover the edges with a little foil. Remove the pan from the oven when everything is all melty. Enjoy your delicious messy sandwich in the back of a cop car, dripping as much sauce as you can. Alternatively, wrap each sandwich tightly in parchment paper and cut in half for a more manageable eating experience.