Easy Mediterranean-Spiced Meatballs for NYE!

Need a dish for a New Year’s Party?

Let’s think about what makes a dish perfect for a party . . .

How about one that’s easy to make and transport? Simple to serve and eat? Warm and satisfying? Mild enough to satisfy a crowd, but still interesting and flavorful?

Yes, please!

These Mediterranean-Spiced Meatballs with Pomegranate-Yogurt Dipping Sauce check all of those boxes.

They’re easy to make, for sure. For the meatballs, you just need a pound of grass-fed ground beef, one high-quality egg (we use Nellie’s Free Range), a few simple spices, plus salt and pepper. For the sauce, it’s plain Greek yogurt, pomegranate juice and seeds, and a pinch of salt.

Mix up the beef, egg, spices and salt and pepper in a big bowl, and then shape the mixture into about 20 little balls . . .

Then brown those in a grill or sauté pan, about 1 minute per side.

And then pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.

The sauce is equally easy: Just cook the pomegranate juice down to about 2 tablespoons (it will be a syrupy when it cools). Kids need a job? Have them drizzle the pomegranate syrup over the yogurt and garnish with pomegranate seeds :)

Gorgeous, isn’t it? The flavors are incredible, too. The garlic, onion, paprika and allspice give the tender bite-sized meatballs a surprising kick of flavor, which goes perfectly with the sweet-n-tangy yogurt sauce.

Yum! Now let’s get the party started so we can start dunking!

Mediterranean-Spiced Meatballs with Pomegranate-Yogurt Sauce

Yield: 20 Meatballs

Ingredients

For Meatballs

• 1 lb. grass-fed 85% lean ground beef

• 1 Nellie’s Free Range Egg

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Extra virgin olive oil

For Sauce

• ½ cup pomegranate juice

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

• Pinch of salt

For Garnish: pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Place beef in a large bowl. Add egg, allspice, garlic, onion, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Stir (or mix with your hands) until well combined. Using your hands, form the beef mixture into about 20 small meatballs and place them on a plate.

3. Drizzle a little olive oil in a grill or sauté pan and heat over medium heat until hot. Add meatballs, several at a time, and cook until browned on one side, about 1 minute. Flip and brown on the other side. As you work, transfer browned meatballs to the parchment-lined baking sheet. When all meatballs have been browned, pop them in the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through.

4. For the sauce, pour the pomegranate juice into a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the juice until it is reduced down to about 2 tablespoons. Cool completely.

5. Place the Greek yogurt in a small serving bowl. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the thickened pomegranate juice. Garnish with pomegranate seeds. Arrange the meatballs on a platter with the bowl of sauce and garnish with parsley.