• Ingredients:
  • 8oz package of whole FunGuy white button mushrooms
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ medium onion, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon coarse salt
  • ¼ bunch fresh parsley, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves
  • 3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 lemon
  • salt and black pepper

Meatballs don’t have to go with spaghetti, or drenched in barbecue sauce, or be of the Swedish persuasion, they can absolutely have a Mediterranean flare! 

These FunGuy kofta meatballs are spiced like the kebab of the same name to give them all of that inspiring exotic flavor.  While traditionally this type of kebab is usually comprised of meat and spices these have been incorporated with generous amount of diced mushrooms for not only flavor, but texture and to keep them juicy during cooking. 

Serve with this refreshing cucumber yogurt sauce, and they’ll disappear in no time!

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Drizzle about a tablespoon on the aluminum and wipe it over the surface with a paper towel.
  2. Brush off any debris from the FunGuy mushrooms with a damp cloth. Roughly chop the mushrooms into a small dice. Place half of the diced mushroom into a bowl. 
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the other half of the mushrooms and half of the onion and garlic to the pan and saute them for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mushrooms have browned and they have lost about half of their juices. Turn off the heat and let them cool 2-3 minutes. 
  4. Add the ground beef, the raw onion and garlic, cumin, allspice, black pepper, salt, parsley, mint, and  oregano to the bowl. Once the sauteed mushroom mixture has cooled a little, add it to the bowl and mix everything together with your fingers. Roll the meat into about 16 even sized meatballs. 
  5. Heat the rest of the olive oil in the saute pan over high heat, making sure the pan is very hot. Add the meatballs in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Allow the meatballs to sear on the outside, rolling them in the pan as the outside sears; about 2 minutes on each side. The pan must be hot or the meatballs may get stuck to the surface and break them apart. 
  6. Transfer the browned meatballs to the baking sheet and pop them in the oven for another 8-10 minutes to finish cooking them all the way through. 
  7. While the meatballs cook in the oven, make the yogurt sauce. 
  8. Trim the ends of the cucumber and cut off the peel. Cut the cucumber down the middle and with a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Grate the rest of the cucumber on a grater before transferring it to a sieve to help press out any excess cucumber juice. Transfer it to a bowl. 
  9. Add the Greek yogurt and lemon juice to the cucumber and mix well. Taste and season with the salt and black pepper. 
  10. Remove the kafta FunGuy meatballs from the oven and allow them to cool about 5 minutes before serving with the yogurt sauce!

Have a Fun meal!