Slow Cooker Beef Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I love Greek food and it's a shame we don't get to enjoy it more often. We have a Greek Orthodox church in our neighborhood that has a festival twice a year and I always am excited to get myself a gyro or any of their other delicious foods. I found this recipe to make Gyros in a slow cooker and I have to say it comes pretty close to the real thing. I haven't done it yet but I'm sure the same recipe would be adaptable to chicken as well. Give it a try as an easy weeknight dinner with some oven roasted potatoes!!

We are back from our vacation to Disney World!! As expected it was full of memories and I am so glad we got to share Owen's first trip with my parents!! We were so lucky to have some beautiful warm weather, Owen loved meeting the characters and Samantha and I had ran an impressive 1st Half Marathon!! We couldn't have asked for a better week :) I couldn't resist sharing a few of my favorite pictures with all of you!!

Ingredients:

2 lbs Chuck Roast - Cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 Large Onion - Thinly Sliced

1 Clove of Garlic - Minced

1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

1 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Pepper

Whole Wheat Pitas

Iceberg Lettuce

Diced Tomato

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 Container Plain Greek Yogurt

1/4 Cup Cucumber - Peeled & Finely Diced 

1 Garlic Clove - Minced

1 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Dill

1/4 Tsp Salt

Pepper

Adapted from: http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/

In a large skillet warm 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil over medium-high heat. Slice the beef into 1/2 inch cubes and pat them dry to remove any moisture. Brown the beef in the skillet in a single layer for about 7 minutes each side, using tongs to move the cubes around. You may need to do this in two shifts or use two separate pans. Transfer the browned beef cubes to a plate with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Add the beef and your sliced onion into the slow cooker bowl.

Now it is time to make the marinade the meat and onions are going to cook in. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt & pepper. Pour the marinade over top of the beef and onions, stir to make sure it has coated everything. 

Set your slow cooker to low and cook 6-8 hours. When it is done the meat should be very tender so you can shred it into smaller pieces if desired. You can always pick up pre-made Tzatziki sauce in the refrigerator section of your food store near where they keep the hummus but I like to make ours fresh. Mix all the Tzatziki ingredients together in a small bowl and let it sit in the fridge so the yogurt has a chance to absorb all of the flavors for a few hours.  

When you meat is done you can set up your gyros. The traditional topping are Tzatziki, raw onion, lettuce and tomato but you can obviously top them with whatever combination you'd like. I usually serve them with some oven roasted potatoes which makes a great Greek style meal without having to go to a restaurant or street fair.

Enjoy!!

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/