Izmir Köftesi

 Preheat oven to 180.

For the Meatballs:

1 kilo ground beef

1-2 c. bread crumbs (can use gluten free)

2 onions, grated 

Fresh parsley

1 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

Grate the onions and squeeze the juice out of them. Chop the parsley finely. Mix all of the ingredients together and form into flat meatball shapes.

For the Vegetables/Potatoes:

4-5 potatoes (enough to cover the bottom of a glass baking pan), peeled and cut into 1-in wedges

2 green peppers, diced

Onions, diced

2 large, peeled, chopped tomatoes (or 1 1/2 -2 cans of diced tomatoes)

1 T. tomato paste

1/2 tsp sugar

Salt

Pepper

1 T. chopped fresh thyme (or you could use some dried if you don't have fresh)

Pan fry the potatoes with salt and pepper to begin until partly cooked and browned. Layer them in the bottom of a lightly oiled glass 9x13 pan. Sauté the green peppers and onions in the pan until tender and layer them on top of the potatoes. Next, brown the meatballs in the pan, and lay them in rows on top of the veggies/potatoes.

Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, paste, sugar, salt, pepper and thyme to a sauce pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meatballs, and put it in the preheated oven until everything is cooked through. 

*If you are in a hurry, you don't have to fry the potatoes first, but wait and add the meatballs to the pan in the oven until the potatoes are mostly cooked to avoid burning the meatballs. 

Afiyet Olsun!