Greek meatballs with lemon yogurt dressing

I love meatballs. They are the quintessential burger if you ask me. (Pssst, ask me.)

No one has to bother removing a bun or thinking they are less than without the bossy bread. Relief.

Bake them, fry them, broil them. Options.

They can be forked, toothpicked, lettuce wrapped, or handled. Classy or casual.

The ONLY downfall with meatballs is how good they taste and perform when stuffed with fatty meat, cheese, and bread. Ugh, deliciousness. When I’ve experimented by removing these items, the flavor changes (obviously), and the meatballs can lean towards hard and dry.

I do not give up easily. I wanted a meatball for every day, ones that can pack a punch in protein and flavor but are not high in fat and fillers. It’s tricky.

Last week, I shared my recipe for chop chop Greek salad with a meal prepping class I taught.

Having had bits and pieces in my fridge for a few weeks, it was the natural outcome in meatball form. The grated cucumber, olive oil, and egg keep them moist and hold it all together.

Needless to say we’ve been eating some meatballs around here. Testing, testing, 1-2-3.

And here is where we landed: Greek meatballs in a lettuce wrap with lemony yogurt dressing. I tossed a few Kalamata olives, scallions, and cucumbers on top because they were already prepped for my salad above.

Here are the details!

Greek meatballs with lemon yogurt dressing

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Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb ground chicken or turkey dark meat is best for flavor and juiciness
• 1 lb lean ground pork
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup cucumber grated peeled and seeded first
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
• 1/4 cup green onions finely chopped white and green parts
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 2 teaspoons dry oregano if you prefer
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dressing Ingredients

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped mint optional

Optional Toppings

• Lettuce wraps with chopped red peppers green onions, Kalamata olives, Feta, and/or mint leaves.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to broil setting and lightly brush broiling pan or cookie sheet some extra olive oil.
• Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside.
• In a large bowl combine both types of meat using 2 forks, so you don't over mix. Mix just until the two types of meat are combined.
• Add all ingredients for the meatballs, gently fork together until just combined.
• Using a small scoop or heaping tablespoon roll meatballs the size of a golf ball. Set on prepared pan. You should have 24-30 meatballs in all.
• Brush tops of each meatball lightly with olive oil.
• Broil on a rack about 6 inches from the top for 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven, turn each meatball, and broil for 3-4 minutes longer until browned and cooked thru.
• Serve meatballs with lettuce wraps and lemon yogurt dressing. Top with Kalamata olives, red peppers, cucumbers, and or mint if you wish.

Makes 8 servings!

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Servings :8

Author: Heather Bursch | shemadeitshemight.com

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Perhaps this week I will eat this salad and these meatballs in the same sitting, or at least the same week. When all of the pieces are prepped, the options are endless. 😉

Enjoy!

~Heather