Turkey Gyro Meatballs Recipe

By Crystal Grobe

This month I've had the luxury of having a little extra free time on my hands to stock the freezer with things that will help with future meal prep like beef, bacon and kale meatballs, breakfast burritos, breaded eggplant, and a whole bunch of basil pesto. Add that to our stash of frozen fruit, salmon, and other tidbits and I think we're set for winter - or at least partway through winter since it does tend to be long.

I've recently discovered something else I need to add to my freezer supply: Turkey Gyro Meatballs! I played around with these after a B1G1 ground turkey sale and just loved them. Especially when served on a pita with a large dollop of lemon yogurt sauce, sliced red onion, olives, tomatoes and arugula. Yum.

Turkey Gyro Meatballs with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Makes approximately 20 meatballs

• For meatballs:
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup packed spinach, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

For lemon yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt (I use 2% Fage)
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

For gyros:

• Pita pockets
• Arugula
• Finely sliced red onion
• Diced tomato
• Kalamata olives
• Crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, spinach, red onion, garlic, oregano and a few grinds of black pepper and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, a rounded tablespoon, or small ice cream scoop, form mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

In the meantime, make the lemon yogurt sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. If you feel it needs more flavor, add additional lemon juice, or another pinch of cayenne. I've also used grated garlic but if you're not eating it right away, it tends to have a powerful smell.

To assemble, line a warm pita with lemon yogurt sauce, arugula and meatballs. Top with thinly sliced red onion, diced tomato, kalamata olives and some crumbled feta cheese. This can also be served as a salad. I added some cucumber, avocado and hummus instead of the pita.

If you plan on freezing the meatballs, I suggest making a double batch. After baking, let cool, transfer to a sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, and freeze, single layer, overnight. Transfer to a freezer bag and use as you need - just reheat in a sauce, in a skillet or in the oven.