One skillet Greek meatballs over lemon orzo

 Recipe inspired (and slightly edited) by: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/one-skillet-greek-meatballs-and-lemon-butter-orzo/


Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken (I used ground turkey because that's what we had)
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried) (I used fresh parsley)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I also added some ground coriander and some ground kefta seasoning blend to make the meatballs more flavorable- this was optional and just because we happened to have it on hand)
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, sliced, plus 3-4 tbs lemon juice from a second lemon (I also zested that second lemon and threw the zest into the rice at the end)
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (I was cooking them to be dairy-free so used extra olive oil, but I'm sure this would have been even yummier!)
  • 1 cup dry orzo pasta (I doubled the recipe for the orzo, so instead of using 1 cup of orzo and 2.5 cups of water, I ended up using 2 cups of orzo and 5 cups of liquid, which I used to be broth- see below)
  • 2.5 cups of liquid- I used a combination of chicken broth, beef broth, and water [note: see above that I ended up doubling the amount of orzo and liquid to 2 cups orzo to 5 cups liquid]
  • 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, and reserve the oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • arugula and fresh herbs, for serving

Whipped Feta

  • 8 ounces feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (note: I think my proportions were off here. I couldn't get the mixture to blend without adding significantly more olive oil, so I just kept drizzling it in until the consistency was more like a smooth yogurt.)

Instructions

  • 1. Add the chicken, shallot, 1 clove garlic, oregano, paprika, any additional spices, and a pinch of red pepper, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 14-15 meatballs).
    2. Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add the meatballs and sear until crisp and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a plate.
    3. To the same skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until golden on each side, about 1 minute. Remove the lemon from the pan and add to the plate with the meatballs. To the same skillet, add 1 clove garlic and the orzo. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 1/2 cups water and 1-2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring often, until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Slide the meatballs back into the skillet and cook until warmed through. (At this point, the orzo mixture was still pretty liquidy, so once I threw the meatballs in, they absorbed a lot of the liquid and became super moist and wonderful!)
    4. Meanwhile, make the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the balsamic vinegar until combined. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
    5. To make the feta. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The feta can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
    6. To serve, spread the feta onto plates and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Add the orzo, seared lemons, and meatballs. Sprinkle on some greens and herbs. Enjoy!

Notes

Whipped Feta: if you prefer you can just crumble the feta cheese over the meatballs instead of whipping it.

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