Hello foodies! I am gearing up for the New Year and getting excited to share some delicious NEW recipes on the blog.

One of my all-time favorite Greek comfort foods is Soutzoukakia.

Soutzoukakia which is basically melt -in- your- mouth meatballs drenched in a red wine tomato sauce.

Soutzoukakia originally came about in the 20th century originating from a place that was once part of Greece called Smyrna. In modern days it is called Izmir, a part of Turkey. This dish is known to incorporate cumin and many other fragrant spices. After many years of making this dish, I created a mix of traditional and modern soutzoukakia. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Soutzoukakia Maniatiko Style Recipe

Servings: 18-20 soutzoukakia

Updated March 15th, 2023

-Maniates really enjoy this dish, especially with cinnamon in the meat filling. Have a try at my latest recipe and let me know your thoughts.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds of minced beef
• 1 cup of sourdough bread crumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon mint
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dill

Tomato Wine Sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 1/2 cups of sweet red wine ( I prefer Mavrodaphne)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl mix the beef with bread crumbs, yogurt, garlic, eggs, and spices.
2. Mix well to combine the ingredients and shape them into long ovals. Roll them into flour and place them into a greased deep casserole dish.
3. Prepare the tomato sauce.
4. Add the olive oil to a pot over medium heat. Then add tomato sauce, cinnamon, sugar, and wine. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes and then pour the sauce over the soutzoukakia in the casserole dish. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve with rice, orzo, or even potatoes.

-Key Tips

• Adding the meat mixture to the Cuisinart will tenderize the meat.
• If the sauce drys out in the oven you can add more water to the baking dish.
• Use Greek Fage yogurt for the minced meat mixture.
• Adding flavorful spices like oregano, dill, mint, or basil will give a lovely flavor to this dish.
• This dish is perfect with either rice, mashed potatoes, or even orzo.

Kali Orexi!