People with food allergies can’t have actual spanakopita, or spinach pie, which is a delicious combination of phyllo dough, feta cheese, spinach and garlic, but these delicious meatballs bring all of the flavor and none of the allergic reactions.
This is an allergen-free version of a genius recipe by Rachael Ray that I’ve been making since 2007. It all comes together and goes to the table or buffet in one casserole dish, and its festive colors make it the perfect thing to bring to a celebration or holiday gathering. Enjoy!
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Spanakopita Chicken Meatballs with Roasted Tomatoes and Cucumber Dill Sauce
Print Pin RateServings: 6
Equipment
- Two sheet pans
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice, prepared per package instructions (I used stock in place of water for a more savory rice, but any rice will work)
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped small
- 1/2 small yellow onion, minced small
- 1/2 cup crumbled Violife Just Like Feta
- 1 tbsp grill seasoning (I used Borsari Cracked Pepper Seasoning)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the blistered tomatoes:
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1½ cups plain vegan, soy-free, nut-free yogurt (I used Harmless Harvest)
- ½ cup seedless cucumber, cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp fresh dill
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp coriander
- 1 tsp salt
Optional garnish:
- julienned fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper or foil.
- Place chicken, garlic, spinach, onion, Violife Just Like Feta, grill seasoning and olive oil into a mixing bowl and combine with your hands until ingredients are evenly distributed throughout.
- Using your hands, form mixture into 15 3-inch meatballs and place them onto the first sheet pan.
- Place cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil onto second sheet pan.
- Place both sheet pans into the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until juices run clear when you cut into a meatball and tomatoes are sizzling and cooked through.
- Make the sauce: Place vegan yogurt, cucumber, dill, lemon juice, coriander and salt into a blender and blend until smooth. Place into a small serving bowl.
- In a large casserole dish, make a bed of rice, then place meatballs and tomatoes on top. Garnish with basil and serve alongside the cucumber-dill sauce.
