On last week's episode of The Sporkful I took a call from Pat in Pittsburgh, who wanted to know how to reheat a leftover meatball sub.

Pat found himself in a familiar quandary: Microwave it and the bread turns to mush. Put it in the oven and although the bread is nice and crispy, the meat is still cold inside. So what to do?

As I explained to Pat (audio of the call above), several steps are required:

1. Position the sub so the bun is in its upright "V" formation, with the meatballs and sauce inside and the cheese spread over the top. Make an incision that runs the length of the sub, down through the cheese and about two-thirds of the meatballs.

2. Use fingers or utensils to gently pry the sub open just enough to allow heat to enter the meat readily.

3. Microwave the sub until the meat is slightly warm.

4. Place the entire sub in an oven or toaster oven--on the rack, not on a tray or foil. You may want to place a sheet of foil on the rack below the sub to catch melting cheese, but you want heat to be able to circle the entire sub.

5. Bake until the bread is lightly crisped.

You now have a meatball sub with hot, juicy meat, melted cheese, and crispy bread. Pat executed my system perfectly and reported the sub was "as good as new."

You're welcome, Internet.

Photo: Flickr CC / kickthebeat