Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries

These Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries were created in partnership with the American Lamb Board.  As always, all opinions and recipes are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Shared Appetite!

Before we go any further, stop what you are doing and enter the American Lamb Sunday Funday contest!  It takes less than 1 minute to enter and you can win some serious swag like a lamb sampler pack and a $500 gift card!

Speaking of Sundays... what gets you excited each Sunday?  Are you a hardcore brunch advocate?  Or maybe that's your day to take it easy around the house and get something cooking up in your slow cooker while you Netflix binge?  For a lot of you I know Sunday means one thing two things this time of year: sports + food.

Personally I'm pretty indifferent when it comes to watching sports over the weekend (except my 3 year old daughter's soccer practice... that's 30 minutes of pure joy as we watch the coach try to wrangle in all the little ones into some sort of organized blob that resembles a team).  And hey, if watching sports gives me a reason to get my hands on some legit game day eats, I'm all in.

You all know by now that I'm a fan of big, bold flavors, and tailgate recipes always gets me excited.  It's comfort food to the max, and with legit eats like these Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries, there's a dance party going on my tastebuds all game long!

It's pretty hard not to love anything with the word FRIES in the title, but these Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries are ridiculously epic!

Ground lamb gets the royal treatment with spices and flavors similar to what you'd find in Lamb Kefta: onion, garlic, lemon, mint, coriander, cumin, and oregano are all mixed in for a serious trip to flavor-town.

You can't call these Mediterranean Lamb Fries LOADED without piling on the toppings!  A super fresh Israeli salad (think a Mediterranean version of pico de gallo) adds brightness.  Crumbled feta cheese adds that classic salty cheesy kick.  Olives add that briny goodness.  And of course... bring on the TZATZIKI!

I've had a lot of tzatziki in my day and usually I find them too dull.  Mine is aggressive in the best way possible.  The garlic gives it the kick it needs, just the right amount of cucumber to keep it cool and refreshing, and a lot of lemon to bring on the bright zing of acidity.

Let's take a step back and talk about this ground lamb for a second.  Whenever I look for lamb these days, I always make sure to source AMERICAN Lamb.

I was shocked to learn a couple years back that the majority of lamb sold in the United States is actually from Australia and New Zealand.

Some people think that sourcing something from the opposite side of the world is exotic and enticing.  

But here's the problem I have.... we are literally buying meat from the opposite side of the world.  American lamb is up to 10,000 miles fresher and is available daily in our supermarkets!

American Lamb.  Not only is it a superior tasting product, it’s hyper local since lamb is produced in almost every single state here in the U.S.

I've had the honor and privilege to visit American Lamb ranches in both California and in Maine recently, and I saw first hand how much our American ranchers care about raising lamb.  It’s 100% a labor of love and passion.  It was incredible to see just how hard these people work day in and day out.  It's a humble life with long hours and little recognition, but they are ranchers because they know it's such important work and they love it.  That’s why I want to support these family-owned ranches by making sure the lamb I cook with is American Lamb!

We as Americans always love to support products that have the “Made in the United States” stamp on it.  Why would we accept anything less from the food we eat?!

Next time you are at the butcher counter… make sure you let them know that you want to keep it local and support our neighbor ranchers with AMERICAN lamb.  It tastes better, is fresher, and helps support families right here in the U.S.

And REMINDER:  head over now to the American Lamb Sunday Funday contest!  It takes less than 1 minute to enter and you can win some serious swag like a lamb sampler pack and a $500 gift card!   I would so love to see one of you win!!!

Need More LAMBtastic recipe ideas?  I've got ewe covered, shank you very much.  Sorry for the dad jokes.  I'm a dad.  Deal with it.

• Greek Lamb Tacos
• Korean Lamb Chops with Grilled Scallions
• Spicy Lamb Coconut Curry Ramen
• Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
• Lamb Kefta Meatloaf
• Southwest Braised Lamb Shanks in Adobo Sauce
• Butternut Squash and Lamb Flatbread with Pickled Cranberries
• Lamb Kefta Burges with Spicy Whipped Feta
• Mexican Lamb Tacos with Tequila Soaked Raisins and Pepitas
• Mediterranean Lamb Flatbread

Most importantly, make these Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries!

Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Chris Cockren
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

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Ingredients

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• 1 bag frozen french fries, cooked according to package directions
• 1 ½ pounds ground lamb*
• 1 small red onion, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, zested with microplane zester
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup crumbed feta cheese
• Israeli Salad, recipe below
• Tzatziki, recipe below
• sliced olives
• fresh torn mint or chopped parsley, for garnish

for the Israeli Salad

• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, finely diced
• 2 plum tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Kosher salt

for the Tzatziki

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cucumber, peeled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt

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Instructions

1. Combine ground lamb, onion, garlic, lemon zest, mint, coriander, cumin, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Season generously with Kosher salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown lamb, breaking into bite-size pieces as it cooks with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked. Remove from heat.*
2. Top cooked french fries with cooked lamb, sprinkle generously with feta cheese, and spoon on Israeli salad and Tzatziki.  Top with chopped olives and torn mint or chopped parsley.  Devour!

for the Israeli Salad

1. Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and season with Kosher salt.

for the Tzatziki

1. Using the smaller side of a box grater, grate cucumber. Soak up excess cucumber moisture with paper towels. In a small mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, 3 tablespoons of the grated cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, mint, and dried oregano. Season with Kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Notes

You will most likely have more lamb than you need for these fries.  Use the additional lamb for tacos or pizza:

Greek Lamb Tacos

Mediterranean Lamb Flatbread

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes

Loaded Mediterranean Lamb Fries