Ground Beef with Hummus and Pita Chips
The Super Bowl is next Sunday. Just thought I'd let you know in case you lived under a rock. Or in a cave. Or under the waters of the deep blue sea. K, I'm done.
But even if you were aware that Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching, you might not have your menu all planned out yet. Which is good. Because you need to include this ground Beef with Hummus and Pita chips in your menu.
Actually, don't just include it. Make it the main event. The starring dish. It's that good.
Consider this dish a twist on the traditional tortilla chips and chili Super Bowl snack. This ground beef recipe is the much elevated version.
You start with a base of creamy hummus. Which I bought from my local supermarket. But which you can certainly make at home if you're feeling very ambitious.
After the hummus comes the ground beef. Not just any ground beef. Ground beef mixed with a delectable combination of Middle Eastern spices. You'll find cumin, paprika, fresh parsley, and even cinnamon in the spice list. I know, it sounds strange. But please don't skip the cinnamon. I almost did the first time I made this recipe. But I'm so glad I didn't.
And then there's the pita chips. Homemade pita chips. Don't be scared. They're so easy. You don't actually have to make your own pita bread. You just have to oil and spice and toast store-bought pita bread. See? Easy!
Of course, you can attempt some homemade pita bread if you desire. That would make you extremely ambitious. And an extremely good Super Bowl party host.
This is not the type of recipe I usually attempt, and isn't the type of recipe I grew up on. But I spent a year of school in Australia, and it was there that I was introduced to this ground beef dish.
My sister-in-law's Mom was kind enough to host and feed me many times over the course of that year, and she regularly made this recipe. And it was love-at-first-taste.
When I got home after that year, I immediately requested the recipe from her and got to work on replicating the dish.
I must admit, mine never tastes as good as hers did. I don't think it ever will. But it still tastes good. So very, very good. And yours will too.
Because this is one of the easiest dishes to attempt, even if you're just beginning to try your hand at cooking meat. All you have to do is mix the chopped meat with the spices and chopped onion and cook it until it turns brown. And then you just spoon the ground beef on top of the hummus and arrange the pita chips around the platter or bowl.
And it's done. And you have the best Super Bowl recipe. And best dinner recipe any time of the year. Forever and ever.
If you're looking for a quick snack, you could always skip the meat part and just make the pita chips. And then dip them into a container of hummus. And proceed to crunch and munch and devour. Cuz these pita chips are awesome.
Simply slice a pita into 8 triangles, brush the slices with olive oil, sprinkle them with a few simple spices, and bake them until toasty and crispy. Mmmmmmm..... Easiest, most delicious snack evaaaaaa!
So, are you gonna make this ground beef with hummus and pita chips? You don't have to answer, it was a rhetorical question. Because the answer is definitely yes.
Ground Beef with hummus and pita chips
Meat:
1 LB. ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1-2 tablespoons dried parsley)
2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 containers hummus of choice
Pita chips:
5 pitas (whole wheat or regular)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste
Meat: In a large bowl, mix the ground beef with the chopped onion, spices, and parsley. Cover bowl and refrigerate meat for 30-60 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add in the meat mixture and cook uncovered over a medium flame until all the meat turns brown (10-20 minutes). Constantly stir and break up the meat while it's cooking to make small clumps.
Pita Chips: Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice each pita into 8 triangles. Lay the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Combine the olive oil with the spices and brush mixture over each pita slice. Bake pita chips for 10-12 minutes, or until golden, toasted, and crispy.
Assembly: Spread hummus onto the bottom of your serving dish (either a large bowl or a platter). Spoon meat over the hummus. Arrange pita chips around the dish. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot/warm.
On a completely unrelated note, you gotta admit it's true:
photo from dump a day dot com
