In the first of my posts for South Mountain Creamery, I wanted to develop a recipe that featured both meat and dairy products to highlight the variety of available products. This recipe made for an easy and delicious dinner and, since the tzatziki sauce and the meatball mix can be made ahead of time, I could make half the dinner during my toddler’s nap time, so baking the meatballs and assembling the sandwiches were really easy right before dinner.

These meatballs are so flavorful and they smelled so good, even before they were baked! If you make the meatballs slightly larger, these would make great sliders too.

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Lamb Meatball Pita Sandwiches with Feta Tzatziki Sauce

Makes about 6 sandwiches

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1/2 English cucumber (long, thin cucumber, usually wrapped in plastic)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 cup South Mountain Creamery Whole Milk Yogurt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 1/2 tablespoon)
• 2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh mint, finely minced
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) South Mountain Creamery Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Lamb Meatballs

• 2 slices whole wheat (or white) sliced bread, torn in pieces
• 1/4 cup South Mountain Creamery Whole Milk
• 1 pound South Mountain Creamery Ground Lamb
• 1/2 small onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons fresh mint, finely minced
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) South Mountain Creamery Crumbled Feta Cheese
• 1 South Mountain Creamery Egg

• 3 pocket pita breads, sliced in half
• 1 bag of baby spinach

Shred the cucumber with a grater and place the shredded cucumber in a colander and place in the sink. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and toss to fully incorporate. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw the moisture out of the cucumber, then squeeze the cucumber to get as much liquid out as possible.

Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, mint, feta and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add the cucumber and mix to fully incorporate. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to a day ahead of time.

For the meatballs, put the bread in a large bowl and add in the milk and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the milk is absorbed. Add in the ground lamb and, using your hands, mix until fully incorporated.

Add in the onions, garlic, spices, feta and egg and fully incorporate all ingredients with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out meatball mix and roll into balls with your hands, and flatten just slightly so the meatballs don’t roll around. You should end up with about 20 meatballs, about 1 1/2 -2 inches in diameter.

Place on a rack on top of a sheet pan lined with foil and bake for 20-24 minutes. When the meatballs are cooked all the way through, turn the broiler on low and cook the meatballs for about 2-3 minutes, until the tops of the meatballs start to brown.

Remove the meatballs, turn the oven off and put the pita bread halves in the oven and heat through, about 2-3 minutes.

Take each pita pocket, add a spoonful of tzatziki sauce to the bottom, a handful of spinach leaves and 2-3 meatballs. Add another dollop of tzatziki sauce and an additional sprinkling of crumbled feta, if you wish, and serve immediately.