CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH RED PEPPER PISTACHIO DIPPING SAUCE

So, as you all know, it is yogurt week here on Kitchen Psycho. I absolutely LOVE yogurt, specifically, plain Greek yogurt. I eat it for breakfast almost every day. I also use it a ton in my cooking. Often, I’ll substitute it for sour cream or mayonnaise in a recipe. It’s wonderful, and it’s great for you.

The idea for this recipe literally hit me in the grocery store when I saw a package of ground chicken. Often when you see meatballs as an appetizer at a gathering or party, they are the ones done in a crock pot with a sweet and sour sauce. They’re good, but probably not the healthiest thing you can eat. I decided to do chicken meatballs with a dipping sauce that used Greek yogurt as the base. Since I didn’t have a recipe, I had no idea how they would turn out. The verdict: my six year old, slightly picky son absolutely loved them! He even loved the dipping sauce, which took a little convincing to get him to try.
My mother thought they were great too. I hope you enjoy.
---Karly Kimbel Vardaman

CHICKEN MEATBALLS WITH RED PEPPER PISTACHIO DIPPING SAUCE

For the meatballs:
1 lb. ground chicken
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. chopped green onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
¼ c. panko
1 ½ teaspoons Cavender’s Greek seasoning
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 400. Line a cookie sheet with foil, then spray a cooling rack (for cookies) with cooking spray and put on top of the cookie sheet. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Don’t overmix! Form small meatballs (about the size of a walnut) and put on the rack. Bake for 30 minutes.

For the sauce:
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of Cavender’s Greek seasoning

Put the pistachios and bell pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined. I left mine with a little texture, but it’s up to you. Mix the puree into the yogurt and season with salt and pepper and a dash of Greek seasoning. Serve with the meatballs.

NOTE: Roast your pepper and let it cool while you’re making the meatballs. Also, trust me on the mint! If you want, you can substitute Italian parsley for the mint. And, if you just want a great dip with pita chips or crudités, then the sauce by itself would be fabulous!!

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