“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. . . ” Hebrews 10:35-36
Kofte or Turkish Meatballs are perfect served with a pita or flatbread (as a sandwich) or over rice pilaf. And do not forget the Creamy Feta Sauce to complete the meal.
What is Kotfe?
Kotfe is a Turkish meatball. What differentiates between the meatballs we all are used to is the typical spice/herb blend that is used in Kofte. It’s very common to see cumin, oregano, mint and sometimes even cinnamon and turmeric in the Kofte.
I decided to come up with a recipe for Kofte after I was at a Food & Wine festival and had something very similar to these meatballs.
Have you ever eaten something and it was so memorable that you thought of it for days? That’s how it was with me when I first had a Kofte which was served as a sandwich in a pita with hummus. Now, I’m not a big fan of hummus but the meatball was so amazing, the hummus was secondary.
The typical Kofte is fried in a skillet, but to save on the mess factor, I’ve decided to bake these meatballs. Same flavor, less mess. 😀
Why Feta Sauce?
Since I didn’t care for the hummus, I decided to add a different sauce to these Kofte and that is where I came up with the Creamy Feta Sauce. Super easy and quite delicious. The recipe makes a good amount of sauce so you can definitely use it for other dishes or just dip it with some fresh veggies.
Give Kofte with Creamy Feta Sauce a try. I think your taste buds will be very pleased.
Mama Fawn’s Tips. . .
- Make sure all the meatball ingredients are combined thoroughly which could take a few minutes. You don’t want clumps of breadcrumbs or herbs/spices in your meatball. Believe me! 😣
- I used an ice cream scoop to measure out the meatballs, then I rolled them with my hands.
- I serve these Kofte with my flatbread to make sandwiches but you can use pita or serve them with rice pilaf to make a delish meal.
- Block Feta makes a creamier sauce then if you use the crumbled feta.
- It’s important to use plain yogurt and not greek yogurt. It changes the taste and consistency.
Kofte with Creamy Feta Sauce (Turkish Meatballs)
Course: Lunch, DinnerCuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Easy4-5
servings15
minutes20
minutesIngredients
(Meatballs)
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dried cumin
½ tsp dried oregano
⅓ cup plain bread crumbs
¼ cup plain yogurt
½ cup chopped mint
1 ½ lb. ground beef
1 ½ tsp salt
(Creamy Feta Sauce)
8 oz. block feta cheese
¾ cup plain yogurt
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- In a small skillet, over medium heat, add olive oil and onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent; about 5 minutes, constantly stirring. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, mint, yogurt, onion mixture and salt, using your hands to thoroughly mix. *At this point, you can refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
- Divide the meat into 12 portions and roll each into a ball.
- Place the meatballs onto a parchment (or foil lined) baking sheet. Gently press them into ½ inch patties with your hands. Bake for 20 minutes until the meatballs patties are browned and cooked through. Remove from the baking sheet onto a platter.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the feta cheese, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and salt and process until smooth. Season to taste.
- Serve the Kofte and Creamy Feta Sauce in a pita, flatbread or over rice pilaf.
