Description
A delicious Mediterranean-inspired dish featuring baked meatballs and tender potatoes, perfect for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (or lamb, or a mix)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing)
- 2 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (about ¼ inch)
- 1 bell pepper, sliced (yellow or red)
- 2 cups tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 2 minutes.
- Add ground meat, onion, garlic, egg, parsley, oregano, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until combined.
- Shape mixture into golf ball–sized meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear meatballs until browned on all sides (they don’t need to cook through).
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a baking dish, arrange seared meatballs. Tuck potato slices and bell pepper between meatballs.
- In a bowl, mix tomato sauce with olive oil, oregano, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over meatballs and potatoes.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and sauce is slightly reduced.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty bread, rice, or a simple side salad.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute ground beef with ground lamb for a richer flavor.
- Adjust the amount of chili flakes based on your spice preference.
- This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg