GROUND BEEF LAYERED HUMMUS

Hummus has been a part of my life since I was little. 

My grandma made the best hummus and would often have a big bowl waiting at her house with pita bread, Grape Leaves, Lebanese Green Beans and Kibbeh. 

As I got older I like to use hummus in a variety of creative ways like in hummus or rice bowls, on toast, in hand-held appetizers like these Southwestern Hummus Baked Wonton Cups, on sandwiches and on layered hummus platters like today’s Ground Beef Layered Hummus platter.

Ground beef is the perfect pairing for hummus because it adds a lot of flavor, protein and is great alongside other garnishes like feta cheese, fresh herbs and veggies and spices like za’atar and sumac.

The ground beef I used in today’s hummus platter is spiced with the warm, rich spices of cinnamon, allspice, paprika and clove.

These are similar to the spices that are used in some of my favorite Lebanese dishes we ate growing up like in Kibbeh, Beef Shawarma and this Grilled Beef Kofta.

I am excited to be sharing this Ground Beef Layered Hummus with the Ohio Beef Council which would work great as a meal for your family served alongside pita bread, veggies or pita chips or an appetizer for a crowd.

Beef is a versatile and delicious food that is enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures around the world and is often used in Lebanese cooking.  

My favorite part of using beef to feed my family is that there no stronger protein source than beef! One 3 oz cooked serving of beef provides half your Daily Value of protein (25 grams), for under 200 calories.

INGREDIENTS FOR BEEF LAYERED HUMMUS

FOR THE HUMMUS:

• CHICKPEAS
• LEMON JUICE
• TAHINI 
• GARLIC
• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 

WAYS TO MODIFY THIS BEEF HUMMUS DIP

CHEESE: I like adding feta cheese to this layered dip but you could skip it or try goat cheese, mozzarella cheese or halloumi cheese.

VEGETABLES: This dip is a great way to add extra vegetables to your diet. I like to dice them up small and add them to the top of the hummus. Some good choices are celery, radish, carrot, artichokes, zucchini, pickled turnips, pickled red onions or cauliflower. 

SPICES: Spices can take this dip to the next level. While my favorites are za’atar and sumac you could also try adding paprika, cumin, crushed red pepper or Greek seasoning. 

HERBS: Fresh herbs are a nice addition to the dip. Try fresh mint, basil, cilantro or chives. 

BEANS: I added chickpeas to the top of the beef hummus dip but you could also try black beans, white beans or pinto beans. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS HUMMUS DIP

FOR THE HUMMUS: Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute (blend longer for more creamy texture).

Add a small amount of additional olive oil to thin out the hummus and blend again if you think it is too thick. Set aside.

FOR THE BEEF: In a large skillet heat the olive oil {or ghee} over medium high heat.

Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef and turn to medium heat.

Use a wooden spoon to break apart the ground beef and let it begin to cook.

Add the cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika and clove to the beef and continue to cook until the ground beef is cooked through and no pink is left. Remove the ground beef from the stove and drain excess fat.

TO ASSEMBLE THE HUMMUS WITH BEEF:

Spread your hummus on a platter.

Top with the ground beef mixture.

Garnish with the red onion, parsley and chickpeas.

OTHER BEEF RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

LEBANESE MEAT STUFFED PITAS

SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF HUMMUS BOWL

MEDITERRANEAN BAKED BEEF MEATBALLS

BEEF KAFTA MEATBALLS 

SPICED BEEF AND HUMMUS PITA PIZZA 

MEDITERRANEAN BEEF KABOBS 

LEBANESE MEAT PIES 

Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families. Use #OhioBeef to share photos of the delicious beef dishes you’re incorporating into your healthy meal plan.

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Ground Beef Layered Hummus

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ground Beef Layered Hummus is the perfect appetizer or meal for a crowd or a quick weeknight dinner for your family. Creamy hummus is topped with Mediterranean spiced ground beef and then layered with feta cheese, pine nuts, diced tomatoes and cucumbers, red bell pepper and fresh herbs. You will love the combination of flavors in this protein packed dip! 

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Ingredients

• 1 -16 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil {you may want more for thinner hummus}

FOR THE BEEF:

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef, {I use 80/20}
• 1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1/4 tsp. allspice

FOR THE TOPPINGS

• 1/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Green onion, chopped
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced
• 1/2 of an english cucumber, diced
• 1/2 cup pitted olives, halved {optional}
• 2 tsps. za'atar or sumac

Instructions

FOR THE HUMMUS:
Combine all ingredients in the food processor. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute (blend longer for more creamy texture). Add a small amount of additional olive oil to thin out the hummus and blend again if you think it is too thick. Set aside.
FOR THE BEEF:
In a large skillet heat the olive oil {or ghee} over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef and turn to medium heat.
Use a wooden spoon to break apart the ground beef and let it begin to cook. Add the cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, paprika and clove to the beef and continue to cook until the ground beef is cooked through and no pink is left.
Remove the ground beef from the stove and drain excess fat.
TO ASSEMBLE THE HUMMUS WITH BEEF:
Spread your hummus on a platter. Top with the ground beef mixture. Garnish with feta cheese, the pine nuts, parsley, green onion, tomato, cucumber, olives and chickpeas. Sprinkle za'atar over the finished dish. Serve with veggies, fresh pita or pita chips.

Notes

Other garnish ideas: roasted red peppers, artichokes, pistachios, a dollop of Greek yogurt, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, peperoncinis.

Fresh Ground Beef can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days (3-4 days if cooked) or in the freezer for 3-4 months (2-3 months for cooked).

To thaw frozen Ground Beef, refrigerate for 12 hours or microwave.