One of the most common things that my mom would make growing up were Greek meatballs. Keftedes, as they are known, are made from a mixture of ground beef and/or lamb, onion and/or garlic, oregano, bread crumbs, and eggs. My mom made them of lean ground beef. She would not include garlic in her mixture and would fry them in a pan. Mom often serve them as the meat portion of dinner with a variety of different things.
I’ve taken the recipe and altered it. I really like to make them with 1/2 ground lamb and 1/2 ground veal. I always include garlic and prefer to convection bake them so they are less greasy. I typically make them in fairly large batches so that I can freeze some to be used later as they make an easy to put together quick dinner. They also make a great appetizer especially if they are small in size.
My extended Greek family often serves the meatballs with rice and a greek salad. This preparation typically includes a sauce for the meatballs. A lemon sauce like that served with Greek cabbage rolls or dolmades is fairly common. However, so is serving them with Tzatziki and pita bread. Keftedes are so versatile there are lots of possibilities!