Who doesn’t love a good gyro? I know I sure do and boy have I been missing gyros and authentic Greek food in general since I moved down south. Back home I was spoiled with an abundance of great Greek dining options (including my Dad’s cooking, lol) and am sure to get my fix whenever I visit, however, since the closest Greek restaurant that I know of locally is about an hour away, I’m always needing to find ways to get my Greek fix at home via my own recipes.

Now, back to my love of gyros, I am obsessed, like if there was a cheap way for me to get that metal spinn-y thing in my home with an endless supply of gyro meat I would seriously consider it, lol. Luckily for me and my waistline that will more than likely never happen, lol, so instead, I’ve come up with a healthy and super easy alternative to a traditional gyro – a “gyro pizza”. This idea actually came to me while I was preparing slow cooker chicken gyros (great recipe I found on Pinterest!) last week and was going to have a ton of my Skinny Tzatziki left over and was determined to use it in this week’s recipe line-up before it went bad. I think that the standard lamb or beef gyro (you know, the one that they slice off the spinning thing, lol) is something that people don’t typically think to try and replicate at home because of the spinning thing (what the hell is that called!? lol), however, while the cooking and serving process may not be home-cook friendly, the flavors certainly are. Having adapted several Greek meals to “skinny” versions I knew that I could very easily create another (I will eventually create an “It’s all Greek to Me” collective post of all of my Greek inspired skinny dishes), I wanted the “pizza” part of it to be my creative spin on a traditional gyro, although after I made it I realized that it’s more of a flatbread than a pizza. It’s also worth mentioning that when I went to cut them into quarters J grabbed his up, folded it like a gyro and started eating it that way, lol, so much for my pizza idea! That being said this recipe can be enjoyed in the “pizza” for as it was originally intended or as a traditional gyro or over a Greek salad, so if you’re looking to get your gyro fix without the guilt or extra time in the kitchen, give this recipe a try 🙂  

SKINNY GYRO PIZZA (makes 6 pizzas)

TIP: If you buy in bulk this is a great money-saving meal to get rid of your freezer stock of ground beef! Beef not your thangg? No problem, just substitute ground turkey or chicken.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef (93% or 97% lean)
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. marjoram
• 1/2 tsp. ground dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. ground dried rosemary (this one is not imperative, if you are missing it feel free to skip it)
• 1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 head romaine or 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup tzatziki (use my skinny recipe found here or purchase ready made)
• 6 whole wheat pitas 

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add diced onion. Cook onion until it just begins to soften (about 4 minutes or so) then add garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Step 2: To the onion and garlic add ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces and cook until it is no longer pink. Drain any liquid from pan and return pan to stove.

Step 3: To the meat mixture add oregano, cumin, pepper, salt, marjoram, rosemary and thyme and allow to cook for about 3-4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Step 4:  Heat pitas in a skillet or in a pre-heated oven for a few minutes (this is optional, pitas do not need to be heated I just enjoy mine that way). Taking one pita at a time, spread about 3 tablespoons of tzatziki on each (depending on how much you like) then topping with ground beef, lettuce, tomato and finally a bit of feta. Cut into quarters and enjoy! 

These make great leftovers! Another fun take on this might be “gyro tacos”, using the pita in place of the tortilla.