Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs and Spinach-Dill Pesto

Recipe by The Gourmet RD

You could also throw these little guys in freshly baked pita, top with the pesto AND tzatziki sauce and more spinach, and life will just be so good.

Ingredients

• 1¼ lbs ground chicken breast
• 2 cups fresh spinach (finely chopped)
• 6 oz feta cheese
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1½ tbsp Dijon or horseradish mustard
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp dried dill leaves
• ¾ tsp coarse salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• ¼ cup fresh baby dill
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 3 tbsp pine nuts (or other nut)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• coarse salt and ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
   
   In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together all of the meatball ingredients. Using your hands, form 2-inch meatballs and place on the wire rack with an inch of space in between meatballs.
   
   Bake for 10-12 minutes, until internal temperature of meatballs reach 160 degrees.
   
   While meatballs cook, place spinach, dill, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Process while drizzling olive oil in through the vegetable shoot, until desired consistency is reached.
   
   Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

View the recipe instructions at The Gourmet RD