Greek Lamb Meatballs

Sautéed mushrooms, celery and garlic add flavor and help keep calories in check and portions hearty in this easy lamb meatball recipe. We like to serve these meatballs Middle Eastern-style: with warm pita, cucumbers, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce or hummus.

Prep/Cook Time: 50 Minutes, Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried mint
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 pound lean ground lamb

Directions

1. Finely chop mushrooms, onion, celery and garlic in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Add breadcrumbs, pine nuts, feta, mint, oregano, lemon zest, salt and pepper to the cooled vegetables; stir until combined. Add lamb and mix gently to combine (do not overmix). Form into 30 meatballs (a scant 2 tablespoons each) and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: 219 calories; 12 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 44 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 2 g total sugars; 17 g protein; 2 g fiber; 373 mg sodium; 387 mg potassium

© Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission.