Whenever I make meatballs, I always make more than I immediately need since they are great for snacking and what not. Recently I had made a batch of meatballs and we enjoyed them for dinner. The following day I was shopping at Whole Foods and discovered the cutest bag of mini pita breads, no bigger that the cup of my hand. They were airy and light and I discovered that because of this, they would be easy to split open, unlike other pita bread that tear easily. With left over meatballs and easy-to-work-with pita, I made these adorable and delicious sandwiches for lunch. Enjoy!
Mini Pita Meatball Sliders with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce
This recipe should make about 3 dozen golf-ball size meatballs and makes as many sandwiches as you wish (or until the sauce or pita run out).
For Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground lamb
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. olive oil
For Sauce:
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, and pitted
3/4 cup whole milk Greek-style yogurt
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Small torn pieces of romaine lettuce leaves
Mini Pita Bread
1. Combine the ingredients for the meatballs without over mixing, which can make them tough. Shape the mixture into golf-ball size balls, flattening them out slightly so they cook evenly. Place them in a large skillet and cook on the stovetop over medium heat, turning once, about 10 minutes all together.
2. Mash avocado in a bowl and add yogurt and lime zest and lime juice; combine well.
3. Cut an opening at the seam of each pita bread by gently squeezing the sides of the pita together. Make a large enough cut so that the sauce can be spread generously on the inside of each side of pita. Place a meatball inside each pita and insert a lettuce piece.
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