Soutzoukakia: Greek Baked Meatballs + Potatoes in Tomato Sauce

Welcome to Episode 2 of My Big Fat Greek Christmas, a series in which I share Holiday recipes from my Greek Childhood and ways you can elevate your holiday traditions with some Greek flare! Today, we are making Soutzoukakia: Greek Baked Meatballs and potatoes in Tomato Sauce!

Soutzoukakia (Greek Baked Meatballs with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce) is the most comforting dish you’ll have all winter. It’s essentially delicious beef meatballs cooked in a warming tomato sauce with potatoes. It can be cooked up in one pan and is such an easy meal for the whole family. Prep it and let your oven do most of the work.

The tomato sauce has a warming blend of beautiful spices, including cumin and cinnamon. It’s so warming and will have your whole family obsessed ♥️

The Soutzoukakia recipe was introduced to Greek cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century and it is said it’s origin is from the city of Smyrni or modern-day Izmir.

Ingredients:

For the potatoes,

4 medium yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes, halved and then cut into wedges
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup water

For the meatballs,

1 lb lean ground beef
3 thick slices bread, crust removed
1 yellow onion, grated
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground all spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the sauce,

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
400 ml passata or polpa tomatoes
2/3 cup water

Garnishes,

fresh parsley
1/2 cup cubed feta cheese

Instructions:

For the potatoes,

Preheat the oven to 375F. To a large baking dish add the potato wedges, olive oil, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and then add the water to the dish. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Make the sauce,

While the potatoes are cooking, make the sauce. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the bay leaf, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and sugar, stir to combine. Pour in the passata and water and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn to medium-low and keep at a simmer for about 15-20 minutes with the lid partially on the pot, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened just slightly. Remove from the heat.

Make the meatballs,

Remove the crust from the bread slices and soak in a bowl of water for 5 minutes.
Once the bread is soaked, remove from the water and mix with the ground beef, pressed garlic, salt, cumin, pepper, egg, olive oil, onion powder, all spice, cinnamon and dried oregano. Knead well to combine the mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes, scoop 2 tablespoons at a time and form into ovals / logs, about 2-3 inches in length.
Set aside on a plate until the potatoes come out of the oven.
Assemble the dish
Once the potatoes have cooked for 30 minutes, remove them from the oven and remove the foil from the baking dish. Nestle the meatballs in between the potato wedges. Pour the sauce all over the potatoes and meatballs in the baking dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and then bake for 20-25 minutes uncovered or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Garnish with fresh parsley and cubed feta cheese (if desired).

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