7/18/12

ground beef gyros (quick and easy)

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[First, I'd like to say congrats to the winners of the "The Cookie Dough Lovers Cookbook" #25 Barbara and #69 Ellen. Congrats to you both, please email me your shipping address.]

It's no surprise the recent heatwave in the northeast has left me with no desire to bake anything. I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat.
Laziness comes with a hefty dose in the extreme heat and humidity.
I look for the easiest ways to make something delish, even if it is in "baby" steps.
The baby steps with these gyros?
Chop up veggies in the morning, buy or make the tzatziki sauce in the afternoon (I choose the latter in this heatwave), make gyros meatballs at night. Not so bad right?
And by the way, if you're looking for a good recipe for tzatziki?
Head over to Kalyn's Kitchen, not only does she has a good recipe, but she also included links for variations of tzatziki.

And if you have fussy eaters in the house?
This is a great way to get them to eat their veggies.
Works on my hubby. I just hide them in the sauce.

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ground beef gyros
print recipe

1 pound ground beef (I used 85% lean)
½ cup minced sweet onion
1- 2 TB fresh oregano
3- 4 TB fresh chopped parsley (I used a bit more)
pinch of cumin
a couple dashes of salt & pepper

Cook notes:
You could add in a touch of mint if you wanted: ½ - 1 TB minced fresh mint.
It gives it a nice flavor without a minty taste.
I used a lot of parsley in these meatballs as I wanted a nice hearty earthy flavor to pair with the grilling flavor.
If you use really lean meat, make sure to fry these in a bit of oil or the meatballs dry up. One pound should make about 20-25 meatballs, depending on size.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Form meatballs and fry in pan or on grill. Grill gives a nice flavor.
Serve in warm naan or flat breads. Then top with your favorite toppings.

Serve with:
Tzatziki sauce
Tahini sauce
Crumbled feta
Kalmata olives
Chopped cukes, red onions, lettuce, peppers, etc..

16 comments:

  1. BEAUTIFUL summer dinner! Delicious too! I'm always up for a good yogurt sauce. Hope you're doing well

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  2. I'm so happy to get this recipe, I've never tried to make gyros and I would love to, they look amazing. And I like your baby steps approach! Stay cool :)

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  3. i miss gyros! used to eat them all the time when i lived in astoria, queens.

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  4. Baby steps make life (and meals) so much easier. I wish I could use baby steps to make macarons...but probably not, right?

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  5. Yummy, I love these different ways of using ground beef since the two of use don't use a whole pound when making burgers & I like something different for the remaining half pound.

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  6. Yeah, I would totes gobble this down, but could you make it for me? The heat just makes me want to sleep :)

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  7. Seriously love, love, love this. Especially in the heat and being pregnant!!

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  8. It's hard to find really good gyros around here. Yours looks REALLY good and it's all I want right now for lunch. Save me one, please?:)

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  9. Scrumptious, fresh and summery! I love that kind of food.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  10. oh man, this looks perfect for those hot days where you can barely figure out what you want to eat, let alone cook it! YUM :)

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  11. Looks amazing! I have been looking for a recipe for this! Just found your blog! So glad! Can't wait to try some of these recipes! Yumm! xoxo Stefanie

    http://theforwardhome.blogspot.com/

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  12. Love meals like this during the summer! It might even pack up easily to take to the pool with us one evening!

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  13. i don't think i'm alone when i state that i could drink tzatziki sauce. it MAKES a gyro for me!

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  14. i never really eat gyros (not sure why) but my husband loves them. i should make them for him this week!

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  15. blech - tzatziki from a tub? you should be ashamed of yourself.

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    Replies
    1. aww jamie!
      it's quite good.
      i can't always make fresh tzatziki.
      the tzatziki from trader joe's is actually really good.
      have a wonderful day Jamie!!

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