Young or old, it’s the rare diner who is not in the mood for meatballs.

A versatile dish that spans many cultures and can be made with beef, pork, chicken or even plant-based ingredients, meatballs are great as a standalone dish on top of rice or noodles, tucked into a pita or stuffed into a roll as a sub.

The only problem is that if they’re made with lean meat or you overwork the balls while shaping them, they can fall apart during cooking — or worse, taste dry instead of moist and juicy.

Many meatball recipes bind the mixture and add tenderness with eggs and breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk. But it’s OK to play around with other ingredients that will add that much-wanted moisture without making meatballs overly wet or fragile. For instance, try finely grated vegetables like zucchini, carrots and mushrooms, panko, ricotta cheese, yogurt or tomato paste.

In this recipe, chopped frozen spinach, which is naturally high in moisture, is used to bind the meat. The trick is you have to wring it out really, really well using a clean dish towel after it thaws to make sure not even a drop of liquid remains. The addition of feta, especially if you take time to grate it, also helps create a more cohesive texture since it melts — slightly — during cooking.

These meatballs are seasoned with lots of garlic powder and dried oregano, but feel free to substitute fresh grated garlic if that’s your thing. They’re served with a bright and lemony yogurt sauce punctuated with dill.

They can be served hot out of the oven, warm or at room temperature, with the sauce drizzled on top. If you need a good office lunch, tuck them into pita bread with lettuce and tomato for a Greek-style meatball sandwich.

I made them in my oven, but you also could cook the meatballs in an air fryer at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Beef, Spinach and Feta Meatballs

PG tested

For meatballs

10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

¼ pound (about 1 cup) crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Kosher salt

1 pound ground beef

Cooking spray

For sauce

1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt

2 small cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Kosher salt, to taste

Pinch of cayenne, optional

Steamed rice or cooked orzo, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place drained and squeezed spinach in a large bowl with feta, garlic powder, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir well to combine.

Add beef and mix well (I used my hands). Divide the mixture into a dozen portions, shaping them into balls. I made them slightly smaller and got 16 balls.

Space them evenly on the sheet pan and spray with cooking spray.

Roast until browned and firm to the touch, about 20-25 minutes. You can always crack one open to make sure it’s cooked enough, if you need some reassurance.

Meanwhile, place yogurt in a small bowl and whisk in garlic and dill. Add zest and juice of 1 lemon, stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and cayenne, if using.

Serve meatballs hot, warm or at room temperature over rice or orzo, with the sauce and additional lemon slices for squeezing over.

Serves 2-4.

— adapted from “What Goes with That: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless Possibilities” by Julia Turshen

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