Mediterranean Cocktail Meatballs with Feta Dip

These oven-baked, deliciously seasoned cocktail meatballs feature onion, garlic, oregano, fresh parsley, and kalamata olives. Served with a tangy feta dip, this appetizer is a definite crowd pleaser.

Those of you who have been following this recipe newsletter for some time know that I’m very passionate about creating healthier recipes that taste great. For most of us, the “taste great” part is key to embracing healthy changes to the way we cook and eat.

As a registered dietitian, I spent many years working with cardiac patients. One of the greatest lessons learned during those years was that most people do not welcome change, especially when it comes to what they eat. Persuading a patient who loves double cheeseburgers with bacon and curly fries, to choose a veggie burger on a whole-wheat bun with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts would be, quite honestly, an exercise in futility. Suggesting a single cheeseburger without the bacon, along with a side salad might be a more doable choice for that patient. It would also be, from a nutritional standpoint, an improvement on the original bacon double cheeseburger and curly fry choice. Bottom line – I think people are more open to making healthful changes to the way they eat and cook, when those changes are modest, manageable, and realistic.

Let’s take a look at this cocktail meatball recipe and see what happens when we make a modest tweak to one of the ingredients. The original recipe called for one pound of ground beef chuck. Just to clarify, when buying ground beef, sometimes it’s labeled as chuck, round, or sirloin. Other times a lean-to-fat ratio is given, such as 80/20 (usually ground chuck), 85/15 (usually ground round), or 90/10 (usually ground sirloin). Of these three ground beef options, ground chuck contains the most calories, total fat, and saturated fat.

One-pound raw ground beef chuck, cooked

• 920 calories

• 60 grams total fat

• 23 grams saturated fat

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One-pound raw ground beef round, cooked

• 850 calories

• 52 grams total fat

• 20 grams saturated fat

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One-pound raw ground beef sirloin, cooked

• 694 calories

• 36 grams total fat

• 14 grams saturated fat

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From a taste perspective, I don’t think you’d notice much of a difference using ground sirloin instead of ground chuck in these Mediterranean meatballs. From a nutritional perspective, this ground beef swap is quite impressive. When compared to ground chuck, ground sirloin contains 25% fewer calories, 40% less total fat, and 39% less saturated fat.

You could make these meatballs even leaner by using ground turkey breast (or ground chicken breast) in place of the ground sirloin. If you’re new to using ground turkey breast, you might ease into this ingredient swap by combining it with some ground sirloin. If you’re already a ground turkey breast fan, go all in and use it in place of the ground sirloin. Using some or all ground turkey breast in this recipe provides additional calorie, total fat, and saturated fat savings.

Half-pound raw ground beef sirloin plus half-pound raw ground turkey breast, cooked

• 597 calories

• 22 grams total fat

• 8 grams saturated fat

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One-pound raw ground turkey breast, cooked

• 500 calories

• 7 grams total fat

• 2 grams saturated fat

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As a recipe developer, food lover, and registered dietitian, one thing I know for sure is that eating healthfully doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste. Small adjusts to the way we cook and eat can lead to some big health rewards. I hope that this site inspires you to cook well, eat well, and live well.

To your health,

Darlene

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MEDITERRANEAN COCKTAIL MEATBALLS with FETA DIP

Yield:  10 servings

Serving Size: 3 meatballs with 2 tablespoons dip

Prep: 20 minutes

Ready: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Meatball ingredients

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 cup 1% milk

• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs

• 1/3 cup finely diced onion

• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, diced

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 pound raw ground beef sirloin (90% lean/10% fat)

Feta Dip ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt (such as FAGE Total 2%)

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

• 2 tablespoons diced seedless cucumber

• 2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper

• 2 tablespoons 1% milk

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. To prepare meatballs, in a bowl, whisk together egg, milk (1/4 cup), bread crumbs, onion, olives, parsley (1/4 cup), garlic (2 minced cloves), oregano, salt (1/2 teaspoon), black pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and red pepper flakes. Let stand 5 minutes, allowing bread crumbs to soften. Add ground beef and stir to combine. Fill and level a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon with meat mixture, remove mixture from tablespoon, and shape into a miniature meatball (mixture will yield 30 miniature meatballs). Arrange meatballs on a large baking sheet. Place in a preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

2. To prepare dip, in a bowl, stir together yogurt, feta cheese, cucumber, red bell pepper, milk (2 tablespoons), fresh dill, garlic (1 minced clove), salt (1/4 teaspoon), and black pepper (1/8 teaspoon).

3. Transfer cooked cocktail meatballs to a serving platter along with feta dip. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons minced parsley and serve.

Nutrition Information per Serving

124 Calories, 6 g Total fat, 2 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 51 mg Cholesterol, 279 mg Sodium, 4 g Total carbohydrate, 0 g Dietary fiber, 2 g Total sugars, 0 g Added sugars, 12 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 62 mg (4%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 192 mg (4%) Potassium

© 2023 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC

Mediterranean Cocktail Meatballs with Feta Dip

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