Becoming confident in the kitchen is really about understanding how different dishes come together and then feeling free to change up flavor profiles based on what you’re craving or what you have in the fridge. For me, it started with soup. Once I understood how to start with a sauté of vegetables, adding aromatics, building with meat and broth and finishing with grains and herbs, it became an intuitive process for me. This makes cooking so much more fun and less stressful. The same idea can be applied to meatballs. This recipe features lamb meatballs (shout out to Get Bentz Farm in Northfield, Minnesota and their beautiful Icelandic sheep!) with Middle Eastern flavors. But the method can be applied to all sorts of ground meat and flavor combinations. I use 1 pound of meat, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 /2 cup of milk and 1 egg as the base. Then add seasonings, spices and herbs to your heart’s content. Form into balls and roast in a piping hot oven for 25 minutes and decide how you want to serve. Master the basics and build your confidence in the kitchen!
Lamb Meatballs
Gather this:
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1 cup fresh sourdough bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- optional: 1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint and/or 1/2 tsp lemon zest
Do this:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the milk and the breadcrumbs. Put the lamb in a large bowl and add the egg, seasonings and the breadcrumb mixture. Using your hands, stir the mixture just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
Use a cookie scoop to scoop out individual meatballs and use your hands to gently form more compact meatballs. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
Serving ideas:
- Stuff meatballs inside a pita with cucumber, hummus, tomatoes & tzatziki.
- Serve with white or saffron rice with cucumber, tomatoes, feta, chopped Kalamata olives, and chickpeas fried with za’atar.
- Make a hummus bowl with a spread of hummus, meatballs plus a combination of the ingredients listed above.