Kufte, the best zucchini and cheese meat patties! They are one of my favorite savory meals! Here in Bulgaria, they are called Kufte. Thanks to the zucchini and cheese, they are super juicy and extra flavorful. They are very easy to make, and they go well with any side dish: salad, pasta, potatoes, veggies, or anything you can think of. You can also freeze them and have them later for those days when you have no time to cook or just don’t feel like cooking. Oh, and kids love them too!
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Kufte is very popular not only in Bulgaria but also in Turkey. “Kufte”, “Kofte”, “Koofteh” are all referring to the same thing. There are many different ways to make Kufte, but this is one of my favorites. Traditionally, these meat patties are made with ground meat, herbs/spices, and onion. I made a twist on the traditional recipe and love it even more.
What I really love about making patties/meatballs is that you can make an extra batch and freeze it for later. Either raw or slightly cooked, they freeze very well. We all have days when we don’t have time to cook a full meal. Having these babies ready makes life so much easier.
Ingredients
Meat – I use a combination of ground beef and ground pork. Don’t use entirely lean meat, you want to have a little bit of fat, or they will be dry. Experiment with different combinations. You can even use ground chicken, turkey, or any type of meat you prefer.
Zucchini – Adding them to this recipe makes the patties extra juicy, plus extra veggies are always a good idea.
Cheese – Well… cheese makes everything better, isn’t it!? I use mozzarella or cheddar, but feta cheese will work great too.
How to make Zucchini and cheese meat patties?
Preparing the patties is very easy. Mix the ground meat with grated zucchini, cheese, chopped onion, herbs/spices, and eggs. Then I leave it covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, so all the ingredients have time to get to know each other;). You can make the mix in advance, a few hours earlier or the night before, just keep it covered in the fridge.
Add flour to a bowl or a deep plate. Form each pattie and dip it into the flour. I prefer to shape the patties first and have them ready before cooking.
Add a couple of tablespoons of butter or oil to a skillet and cook the patties till golden brown on each side. Keep them in a warm oven or in a container with a lid.
Enjoy them with a side of salad, mashed potatoes, rice, or veggies. Keep extra covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for longer.
THE BEST ZUCCHINI AND CHEESE MEAT PATTIES (KUFTE) RECIPE
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg Ground meat(pork & beef), or meat of your choice 2.2 pounds, or 35oz
- 1-2 Zucchini about 400g, 2½ cups
- 200 g Mozarella Cheese or Cheddar hard enough to grate, 2 cups
- 1 Onion medium size
- 2 t Savory or Thyme
- 2 t Ground red pepper or Paprika
- 2 Eggs
- Bunch of fresh parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
- 1/2 cup Flour for dipping the patties
- 2 tbsp Butter or oil for frying
Instructions
- In a deep bowl add the ground meat.
- Using a grater, grate the zucchini and cheese. Add them to the meat.
- Chop the onion as fine as you can. Together with the rest of the ingredients add to the meat. Mix with your hand, till everything is incorporated. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes or overnight covered in the fridge.
- In a small bowl or plate add the flour.
- Shape each pattie and place it on a parchment paper or surface sprinkled with flour, so they don't stick. Heat the butter or oil on a frying pan and add as many patties as you can but leave some space so you can flip them easily.
- Cook them till golden brown on each side. Keep them warm in a sealed container or in the oven turnd on on low.
- Enjoy with your favorite side dish, like veggies, salad, mashed potatoes, rise. Any axtra patties keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for longer.
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