greek nachos

So the superbowl is coming up. I'm not a big fan of football, but any event that gives me a reason to eat appetizer-based foods is a reason to celebrate. Right? And I'm hoping that Bravo TV will do us non-football fans a favor and run a couple Top Chef marathons? In my eyes, appetizer-type foods are really the best pig out foods, as long as there are a few to choose from. If you are looking for an easy appetizer to serve for a superbowl party, make sure to add this one to your list. It is very easy to assemble together and has incredible layers of flavors. These greek nachos I stole from my friend over at Macheesmo. (Originally they come from Mark Bittman). With these greek nachos, I pretty much followed the recipe, but used whole wheat pita instead and omitted the mint as I am not a fan of mint unless it's in ice cream form.
I also added in a few more spices to the meat and pita. The sauce for these nachos is OUTSTANDING. Oh heavens was it good. I had some leftover and used it on sammies, as a dip and with my hummus rollup. A very versatile sauce indeed.



Ideas for your superbowl party:

Don't forget those cheesy tater tots I made. You know I can't forget them.

Want to get a little funky and make some pineapple-bacon crackers?

How about some hummus with artichoke bread?

Or maybe some agedd cheddar & cranberry crackers? Savory indeed.

The one dish that would steal the show is my General Dawn's Tso Chicken. Can easily be served as an appetizer.

Do you want fries with that? Sweet potato fries w/ spicy caramelized onion-horsey sauce

Make mini curry chicken burgers w/ tzatziki sauce

Are you a slider fan? Try these tangy capicola & cheese sliders outstanding & very addicting! I warned you.



Greek Nachos
(adapted from mark bittman via Macheesmo)
print recipe

12-16 pitas, cut into eights. (I used whole wheat)
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (I used ground beef)
1 ts cumin
(I used 1 oversized ts greek oregano)

Olive oil, about ¼ cup or so, for the coating on the chips
Salt & Pepper for chips
(I used some garlic & onion powder for chips)
(I sprinkled the chips, just before baking, with paprika)

Feta Sauce:
1 Container (17.6 ounces) Greek yogurt
1 to 1 1/2 Cups Feta Cheese
1 Lemon, juice and zest
3 TB fresh mint (did not use this)
2 TB olive oil

Toppings: (whatever your taste buds crave)
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 Cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced (I used regular tomatoes)
1/2 Cup feta, crumbled
1/4 Cup kalamata olives, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 jalapenos, de-seeded and diced

Take a small bowl, fill with ¼ cup (or less) of olive oil, mix in some salt & pepper, and a few pinches of garlic & onions powders, mix well.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Take your cut pita wedges and place on a baking sheet, make sure not to overlap them. Brush or drizzle the chips with a generous amount of the oil mixture. Just before baking sprinkle them all with a light coating of paprika. Bake until they begin to color, turning once or twice, about 10 minutes or less. When done you may or may not need to sprinkle with salt. Do a taste test and see. Keep the chips warm in the oven until ready to use.

In a blender or food processor, combine feta, yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, zest and juice of lemon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blend or process until smooth. (You can also mash mixture by hand, with a fork.)

Put two tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beef, cumin, Greek oregano, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; continue cooking until meat is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes more.
Put chips on a serving plate and top with beef mixture, sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and whatever else you desire. I highly recommend using the olives, red onions, and cukes. Should serve four.