I am not the best about eating my own leftovers. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the foods that I prepare, because I do. I suppose it is eating the same items that I prepared, two meals in a row that gets me. Let’s face it– it can be a bit boring. But refashioning one meal in order to make it into an entirely new beast? I am all over that . Case in point, the Meatball Hero.

There are sandwiches of all sorts: paninni, open-faced, subs, croque-monsieurs, cheesesteaks. Many of these sandwiches mentioned are quite substantial; I can’t imagine gulping down a cheesesteak, cheese, onions, and all, right before say, doing a 12k run. In California I guess you could say we eat a bit lighter, we can’t just dash down to the corner deli and order a sub– a roast turkey on whole wheat, yes, but a ginormous, meat-laden submarine sandwich, no. But I don’t live in California anymore, I live in New York, land of the soft on the inside, light-as-a-feather Portuguese sandwich roll, the perfect sandwich rolls on which to make Meatball Heroes.

Last week I made an adaptation of these meatballs for dinner, with a more judicious hand when seasoning with the suggested red pepper flake, and lemon zest. They were terrific, crisp on the outside, meaty and succulent on the inside, truly homey and superb. But what to do with all of the leftover meatballs rolling around? I have never really grasped the fact that it is only Brian and I eating, and that recipes can easily be halved. So, with the prospect of a gloomy lunch looming over me for the next day, I went to the market.

I had a bit of marinara sauce, simple and seasoned with fresh basil. All that was needed was a fresh ball of unctuous mozzarella, and the fabled Portuguese rolls. Once home, I slathered sauce on the rolls, cut slices of cheese, about one-quarter inch thick, and placed the saucy bread under the broiler. I then reheated the meatballs while the cheese melted to a blistery finish. Placing the meatballs on the bread, and pressing firmly down to affix the sauce to the meat, I took a bite of this hefty handful. And it was just as I imagined it to be, hearty and delicious, with just the right amount of sauce and cheese. It was so good in fact, I might just make the meatballs for the express purpose of making a meatball hero. But maybe I will halve the recipe next time.