I usually get the traditional gyro when I go, but there was no way I could reproduce that at home, so my mind went to work on what I wanted to use to get those tasty Greek flavors in my face.
I had already made Greek Burgers, and Greek Turkey Tacos and they are terrific. But they were quite giving me that gyros-ness I was craving.
I originally started out using lamb with these since that is the meat they use in those traditional, shave off the meat and pile it in a pita gyros I get. But I decided to go with beef.
For 1 not everyone likes lamb, and for 2 lamb is more expensive and I know y’all have been wanting recipes that are budget friendly.
Mini-me came home while I was making these and got uber excited as soon as I told her what I was making. She shares my love of gyros…..thank goodness!
The two of us ended up giggling with excitement waiting for the meatballs to cook.
Which made Kevin crazy.
Which made me happy.
That’s what you get for not jumping on the gyro train with me 
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about meatball sandwiches. I have been wanting to turn several of my favorite main dishes into meatball sandwiches.
Think about it.
Beef Stroganoff Meatball Sandwiches
Chicken Parm Meatball Sandwiches
Salisbury Steak Meatball sandwiches
See what I mean?
The things I ended up thinking about!
Anywho,
Once the meatballs were out of the oven we were ready to dive in, but picture first *sigh*
I even recruited Mini-me as a hand model 
Wanna know the funny thing?
Kevin had to admit that he liked them!!
I love it when that happens!
So what do you think of my meatball obsession? What main dish would you like to see made into a meatball sandwich?
Gyro Meatball Sandwiches
ingredients:
- 2 cups Greek yogurt
- 3 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, chopped, and separated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 2 lemons, juiced and separated
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, chopped
- 1 handful parsley leaves plus 3 tablespoons, chopped and separated
- 1 pound Certified Angus Beef ® brand ground beef
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon minced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- 4 pita rounds
instructions
- Place 2 of the chopped cucumbers in a colander, reserving one cucumber for the relish. and sprinkle with salt. Let the cucumbers to sit for at least 30 mins to allow the cucumbers to release their liquid. Roll them in a clean dish towel to squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Add the drained cucumbers, garlic, dill, juice of 1 lemon, and some fresh cracked black pepper to the food processor. Process until smooth. Stir cucumber mixture into the yogurt. Taste and adjust your salt and pepper if needed. Place in an airtight container and allow to set in the refrigerator. The longer it sits the better it tastes so doing this the day before would work well.
- For the relish, in a medium bowl, combine the remaining cucumber, tomato, remaining lemon juice, red onion, and 3 tablespoons of the parsley leaves, and extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, the remaining parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, marjoram, minced onion, and minced garlic. Form into 16 meatballs (I use a small cookie scoop).
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your meatballs.
- When the meatballs are cooked through, remove them from the oven to rest. Place the pita directly on the oven rack, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until warm and slightly toasted.
- To assemble the sandwiches, place 4 meatballs in each pita, and spoon the relish and Tzatziki on top of the meatballs, and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Like what you see? Please leave me a comment!
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