Why it works: Beef and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Pizza Subs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the meatballs
Combine ground beef and 1 tablespoon of Sloppy Joe Seasoning, minced onion, and Italian Seasoning.
Shape into 1 ½‑inch meatballs.
Brown meatballs 10 minutes or until done; drain.
Make the sauce and assemble
Blend remaining Seasoning, tomato paste, and water; pour over meatballs.
Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes.
Place meatballs into sub rolls.
Spoon sauce over meatballs; sprinkle with cheese. Serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,448 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + mozzarella cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,577 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + mozzarella cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together397 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground beef
- Forms the meatball base and provides the savory, browned flavor of the filling.
- Tomato paste
- Concentrates tomato flavor and thickens the sauce so it clings to the meatballs.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Melts over the meatballs, adding fat, creaminess and browning.
- Sloppy joe seasoning
- Supplies most of the sauce's savory, sweet and tangy seasoning.
The step that matters
Brown meatballs 10 minutes or until done; drain.. Browning the surface through Maillard reactions builds deep savory flavor, but the meatballs must reach a safe internal temperature. Draining removes excess fat so the sauce does not turn greasy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, tomato, mozzarella cheese):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits about as well
- Onionthe original
- Eggplantfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, tomato, mozzarella cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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