Grilled Sub Sandwich

Mother's Day. I cooked Mama dinner at her duplex Sunday. Pop sat in the recliner. Smothered chicken, rice, gravy, biscuits, peach cobbler. Mama said, "DeShawn. Don't make me eat too much." She ate two plates. She is the foundation of this family. I tell her every Mother's Day. I will tell her every Mother's Day until I cannot.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

BBQ ribs on the smoker Sunday. St. Louis cut. Dry rub. Six hours at two-fifty. The neighbors appeared.

Aiden's 11. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I sat on the back porch with a beer and looked at the smoker and thought about nothing for an hour.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

Pop sat in the recliner Sunday. He fell asleep before the third quarter. We covered him with a blanket.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

Drove past Jefferson North on Tuesday. The plant is still the plant. The trucks coming out. I waved at the gate guard out of habit. He waved back even though he didn't know me. The plant is its own neighborhood.

Plant ran clean this week. The line ran. The body held. The paycheck is the paycheck.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

The ribs were the headline, but the neighbors showing up meant I needed something that could move fast off the grill while the St. Louis cut finished its six hours. A grilled sub is exactly that — something you can put together quick, throw on the grates, and hand to whoever walked through the back gate. Zaria had opinions about the seasoning on this one too, and honestly she wasn’t wrong. Some recipes are just built for a Sunday when the smoker is running and the yard fills up on its own.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 8 min | Total Time: 18 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 hoagie or sub rolls, split
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
1/2 lb sliced salami
1/4 lb sliced turkey breast
6 slices provolone cheese
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup banana pepper rings, drained
2 tablespoons Italian dressing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
Shredded lettuce, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the grill. Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush the grates lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
Season the rolls. Brush the cut sides of each hoagie roll with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and dried oregano.
Layer the meats and cheese. On the bottom half of each roll, layer ham, salami, and turkey evenly. Top with provolone slices, distributing across all four sandwiches.
Add vegetables. Layer tomato slices, red onion, and banana pepper rings over the cheese. Drizzle lightly with Italian dressing and season with salt and pepper.
Close and grill. Press the top half of each roll down firmly. Place sandwiches on the grill and press gently with a spatula or grill press. Grill 3–4 minutes per side, until rolls are toasted with grill marks and cheese is melted.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Open slightly and tuck shredded lettuce inside before serving. Cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal and serve immediately alongside your main.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Sub Sandwich — Something for the Neighbors Who Showed Up