Greek Hamburger Skillet with Kale & Feta

This is one of those meals that sounds a little strange until you make it and then you wonder why you haven't been making it all along.

Ground beef, a whole bunch of kale, salty olives, and chunks of feta all cooked together in one skillet. It's hearty, full of flavor, and an easy way to get a ridiculous amount of kale onto your plate without feeling like you're sitting there eating a bowl of kale.

And if you're looking at 2 tablespoons of oregano thinking I've lost my mind...I haven't. It works.

Serves: About 4

Time: About 20–25 minutes

Cleanup: One skillet...which automatically makes this recipe better.

What You'll Need

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 3½ oz fresh kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

• 2 Tbsp dried oregano

• 1 Tbsp dried savory

• 1 Tbsp dried parsley

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives

• ¼ cup sliced green olives

• 6–7 oz feta cheese, broken into chunks

• A little olive oil or cooking fat for the skillet

Let's Make It

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. I use cast iron because, well...I use cast iron for pretty much everything.

2. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Toss in the garlic and give it another minute.

3. Add your hamburger and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Season with the oregano, savory, parsley, salt, and pepper.

4. Now add the kale.

   Yes, it looks like too much.

   No, it's not.

5. Keep stirring it into the hamburger and give it a few minutes to wilt down. Once the kale is tender, stir in about half of your feta and some of the olives.

6. Top the whole skillet with the rest of the feta and olives.

7. If your skillet is oven-safe, you can pop it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to warm and lightly brown the feta. Or don't. It's delicious either way.

That's It.

No complicated sauce. No twelve-step process. Just hamburger, greens, feta, olives, and a whole lot of Greek flavor.

I served mine with fresh strawberries, which ended up being perfect. The sweet berries with the salty feta and olives? So good.

Jody's Kitchen Notes

Don't turn the feta into tiny crumbles. Leave some good-sized chunks in there. When you get a bite with beef, kale, an olive, and a creamy chunk of feta all together...that's the bite.

And don't be afraid of the kale. It cooks down a lot.