ground beef gyros (quick and easy)

[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.





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..