Ingredients:

            1 lb of ground beef

            1 lb of ground lamb

            2 cloves of garlic

            1 large onion

            1 tablespoon of marjoram

            1 tablespoon of oregano

            1 tablespoon of cumin

            1 tablespoon of thyme

            ½ tablespoon of black pepper

            2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Steps:

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is to grind the beef and lamb together into a fine mixture. The meat is often put into a blender or food processor to turn the meat into a paste-like mixture. This will help the two meats mix together, let you integrate the gyro seasoning into the mix, and give you the ability to form the meat into the thin slices that gyros are known for.
2. Mix all of the ingredients into the meat. To make authentic homemade gyro meat, you have to get the flavor right. Hopefully you have a fine paste of beef and lamb mixture that is easy to mix with the spices. If you used a food processor or blender, you can add the onion and garlic cloves into the mixture and use the processor to mix everything together. If not, you will want to chop and mash the onions and garlic so they will be easy to mix in without any noticeable chunks.
3. Let the meat and gyro seasoning chill in the fridge for at least an hour in the bowl.
4. Cooking the meat will remind you of cooking meatloaf, but this gyro meat recipe will be miles above the meatloaf you remember from dinner at grandma’s. You will want to get a loaf baking dish to spread the gyro meat out in. A 7×4 dish is the standard, but anything that fits your meat in a rectangular pattern will work.
5. You will want to bake the meat at 325 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes. Make sure the meat has reached 165 degrees on the inside.
6. Remove the loaf and wrap it in tin foil and place it on a cooling rack. Place a pan on top of the loaf, or anything to weigh it down. This will help the meat become denser and get the desired gyro meat consistency.

Learning how to make gyro meat isn’t the only piece of the puzzle in your search for an authentic Greek meal. There are a few other steps to completing and amplifying the dish.

• Puree the onion, garlic and herb mix before adding it to your gyro meat. This will help even out the gyro seasoning distribution.
• Serve your gyros in a piece of pita that has been lightly grilled, and add sliced tomatoes, minced onions and lettuce. Some people will also add ketchup or mustard to their wrap. Include a side of french fries and your meal is complete.
• A more traditional method of cooking includes grilling the meat on a rotisserie skewer. This is a more difficult option, but will cook the meat more evenly and add a good texture to it. You will want to leave the mixture in the refrigerator overnight so you are able to form it in rolls easier. Then you will grill the meat on medium-high until the internal temperature reaches 165.
• Use your gyro meat to make gyro nachos. Instead of a pita wrap, combine your ingredients, including the tzatziki sauce, on top of a plate of chips. It is a great way to make a snack for game night or just a good, crunchy alternative to classic gyros.

An easy baked side dish of spinach, rice, and cheese
Yield: 

4-6 servings
Ingredients: 

9 or 10 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon dried onion (or 2 tablespoons of fresh, minced onion)
1 cup cooked rice (measurement is after cooking, not before)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
Instructions: 

1. Place spinach and water in a large pan or skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until spinach leaves wilt.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients. Add the
wilted spinach and stir. Pour into a greased 8×8-inch square baking
dish.

3. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until set in the middle. (Test with fork.)

To freeze this casserole: Freeze (uncooked) instead of baking. Thaw and bake, or bake from frozen, covered, for about 60 minutes at 325 degrees, or until hot and set.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

This
recipe uses the usual noodles and cheeses that you would expect to use
for everyday lasagna, but the sauce is white, rich, and buttery, and
loaded with lots of sliced mushrooms!
Yield: 

8 servings
Ingredients: 

8 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound sliced, fresh mushrooms
5 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley, divided
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions: 

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; Drain well and set aside.

2. Saute mushrooms and garlic in melted butter in large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tender.

3. Stir in salt and lemon juice. Reduce heat to low. Add the flour,
and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk; cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and
bubbly. Add 1/3 cup parsley, stirring well.

4. Spread 1 cup of the mushroom mixture in a lightly greased
9×13-inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 of lasagna noodles over mushroom
mixture. Spread 1/3 of mozzarella cheese over ricotta cheese. Spread 1
cup of mushroom mixture over mozzarella cheese. Sprinkly with 1/3 of
parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lasagna is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Moist seasoned grilled salmon, with a salty, smokey flavor
Yield: 

Varies, depending on size of fillet
Ingredients: 

Salmon fillet, fresh or thawed
liquid smoke flavoring (we put into small spray bottle)
lemon juice (optionally, squeeze fresh lemon slices onto salmon)
hickory smoke salt
seasoned salt
garlic salt
oil (in spray bottle)
pepper
paprika
lemon pepper
sage
basil
marjoram
butter, sliced
Instructions: 

1. Lay salmon fillet, skin-side-down, on flat surface. Apply seasonings in order listed.

2. Grill according to grill directions for temperature and time.

Our Weber grill says for fish fillet:
1/4-1/2″ thick     3-5 minutes High
1/2-1″ thick        5-10 minutes High
1-1 1/4″ thick     10-12 minutes High

Fish is done when the inside flakes easily with fork.

Note: Salmon steaks typically cook well directly on a grill but you may need to cook fillets on a surface that you can be put on the grill and later removed. This will prevent sticking, but you may need to increase grilling time to compensate.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A quick and easy cheesy tuna and noodle dish
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

4 oz. egg noodles
6 oz. can of tuna, drained
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tbs. Butter
1/4 cup milk
3/4-1 cup grated velveeta cheese (or other processed cheese, such as American)
1/3-1/2 cup marble cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions: 

1. Cook egg noodles according to package directions.

2. Saute the onion in the butter.

3. Mix the tuna, milk, and sauted onion, and spread in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Top with half of each kind of cheese.

4. Spread egg noodles in pan. Top with rest of cheese.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Garden pasta, red pepper, zucchini, broccoli, tuna, and cheese, combined in a flavorful and creamy sauce
Yield: 

4-6 servings
Ingredients: 

2 cups garden spiral pasta
1 large red bell pepper
1 large zucchini
1 head broccoli or approximately 2 cups chopped
1 large can tuna, drained (I used 6 ounces of tuna)
1 cup (4 ounces) monterey jack cheese, grated (or more)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon hot sauce (or less)
2 Tablespoons oil
3 Tablespoons flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain.

2. Chop bell pepper, zucchini and broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Saute in oil, then add soy sauce. Don’t overcook; vegetables should still be crisp.

3. In small saucepan, melt butter. Add salt, pepper and hotsauce. Whisk in flour. Add milk. Stir constantly and bring to a boil over med heat. Boil & stir one minute.

4. Add vegetables to pasta in large bowl. Add sauce & stir
together. Stir in one handful cheese. Place in 9″x13″ baking pan and
sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

5. Bake in 375* oven for 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Additional Notes: 

This
recipe was submitted to Tammysrecipes.com by Amy B. She writes, “This
might not seem like anything special, but it is a pretty tasty dinner.”

When I (Tammy) made the recipe, I used the full amount of hot sauce (we use Tapatio brand) and we thought it was a little too hot for our tastes. I also used more cheese than the recipe calls for, probably at least double (8 ounces or more), but I didn’t measure that. It was good that way!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Tender cuts of venison, marinated in a brown sugar, soy sauce, rum and cola mixture, wrapped in turkey bacon and baked
Yield: 

Varies, depending on size of cut of venison
Ingredients: 

1/4 cup rum*
brown sugar
1/4 can cola**
1/2 cup soy sauce***
uncooked turkey bacon
Instructions: 

1.
Combine 1/4 can of pepsi with a shot of rum (about 1/4 cup rum or a few
drops rum flavoring); stir. Add 1/2 cup of soy sauce, and enough brown
sugar to make a nice thick paste. Mix well with a fork.

2. Lay meat out in a shallow dish that can be covered; pour marinade
on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour, no more than 4
hours.

3. After meat has marinated to your liking, take 2-3 strips
of uncooked turkey bacon, and wrap around the pieces of meat. If using
tenderloin, wrap the entire piece in slices of the bacon.

4. Place meat on a cooking pan (jellyroll pans work the best!). Once
all pieces are wrapped and on the pan, spoon a bit of the marinade on
the wrapped meat.

5. Transfer to a 350 degree oven, and cook for about 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, spoon/baste the meat with more marinade. Discard any
leftover marinade after this. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, depending
on the thickness of the meat. When you can start to smell the meat in
other parts of your home, its almost done! Cook venison as you would
beef.**** 
 
Serve with green salad, buttered cooked sweet potatoes, and rolls. Enjoy!

Additional Notes: 

*Or rum flavoring. I like using real rum better.

**We use Pepsi.

***We use the Kikkoman low sodium.

****The meat will get very dark, due to all of the sugars used; don’t worry, you’re not burning it unless it smells burnt!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A tender grilled salmon fillet with butter, garlic, and lemon
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

Two 8-ounce Salmon fillets
liquid smoke flavoring*
salt
freshly ground pepper
1 fresh lemon, sliced or in wedges**
oil, in a spray bottle (easiest)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter, sliced

Instructions: 

1.
Lightly season fillets (both sides, if skinless) with liquid smoke
flavoring. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice over salmon.
Spray both sides with oil, lightly.

2. Mix (mash) garlic and butter together. Dab half of the butter mixture on top of the fillets.

3. Preheat grill on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Place salmon directly on grill grate, or, use a grill grid/plate for grilling delicate foods. (If using a grill grid/plate, pre-heat it with the grill.)

4. Grill with lid closed. Flip once during cooking, and apply the remaining garlic butter to the top of salmon after flipping.

Approximate grilling times for fish fillet:

1/2-1″ thick     ~10 minutes Medium
1-1 1/4″ thick   ~12-14 minutes Medium

Fish should flake apart inside when done.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A comforting creamy casserole of cheesy sliced potatoes and smoked salmon
Yield: 

8 servings
Ingredients: 

1 large onion or 2 medium onions, finely diced or thinly sliced
3 large potatoes (about 2 or 2.5 pounds), scrubbed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces smoked salmon*
Instructions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the onions, potatoes, cream, milk, salt, and pepper.

2. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread a layer of potatoes/onions,
using almost half of what is in the mixing bowl. (I use my hands to
separate and spread.)

3. Sprinkle a cup of the cheese over the potatoes. Spread a layer of
salmon across, and then the rest of the potatoes/onions. Sprinkle the
remaining 2 cups of cheese on top, and pour or spoon the extra
milk/cream from the mixing bowl over the cheese.

4. Cover dish with foil (lightly oil the underside of the foil if it will be touching the cheese) and bake at 400 degrees for 60 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes longer, until potatoes are tender. Serve hot and enjoy!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Cod fillets brushed with lemon dill butter and baked until tender and flaky
Yield: 

2 servings
Ingredients: 

12 ounces cod fillets*, fresh or thawed
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt
pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and stir in the lemon zest and dill.

2. Rinse fish fillets if desired, and pat dry with a paper towel.
Sprinkle both sides (if fish is skinless) with salt and pepper. Lay fish
on an ungreased baking sheet.

3. Drizzle half of the butter mixture over fish. Flip fillets over
and drizzle remaining butter on top. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

4. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until fish tests done
(tender and flaky inside). If fillets are thin, check at 12 minutes; if
fillets are thicker they will probably need at least 15 minutes.

Serve over rice, with lemon wedges to squeeze over fish and rice if desired! 🙂

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.