Tzatziki Sauce

I love tzatziki sauce.  It’s one of my favorite things about eating any kind of Greek or Mediterranean food.  The food is already amazing, then you top it with an incredible sauce, and it just gets better.

We’ve taken a few cooking classes at a local Mediterranean restaurant, and one of the things we learned how to make was tzatziki sauce.  I was surprised at how simple it is to make.  I thought anything this delicious had to be at least a little bit complicated, but it’s surprisingly simple to make.

It’s also very easy to customize to your particular tastes, likes, and dislikes, so don’t be afraid to experiment.  This version is the result of my experimenting with a version of the recipe we were taught in class, and a version we tried at another restaurant out of town.

Tzatziki Sauce:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Scant 1/4 cup finely chopped cucumber, seeded (or use seedless, it’s much easier)
1 garlic clove, pressed
½ tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp dried dill
Salt to taste, usually just a sprinkle or two

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and serve chilled.

You can use plain regular yogurt, if you prefer, or if that’s what you have on hand.  The sauce turns out just fine.  It’s a little thinner, and I assume somewhat less authentic, but still delicious.  You can also leave the salt out if you prefer.  I don’t recommend that.  I love salt, and I’m convinced there’s very little food that isn’t improved by the addition of salt, but that’s just my opinion.

The sauce doesn’t keep very long at all.  You’ll need to use it within about 24 - 36 hours of making it.  That’s really not a problem, though, with a sauce this good.  It’s great on pita chips, gyros, grilled or baked Greek seasoned chicken, Greek omelettes, basically anything that pairs well with a creamy, garlicky sauce.

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

Some recipes are born of desperation; this is what’s in the house, we need dinner, how can I make it work?  Some are born of creativity; hey I bet this would be really good!  Still others come from trying to use up certain ingredients; why did I buy SO MUCH cheese?!?   This is one of those recipes.

Recently most of the local grocery stores have been putting pasta and pasta sauce on sale; really, really good sales.   I’m a sale and coupon shopper, so I’ve stocked up on the pasta and sauce.  It’s quick and easy, it has a long shelf life, it was a really great deal, and we like it.  That being said, I thought it might be a good idea to try something a little different with it before we get tired of it.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast has also been on sale, so there’s quite a bit of that in the freezer right now.  We also have A LOT of cheese right now because I shouldn’t be allowed in the cheese section at Sam’s Club without adult supervision.  I really like cheese, and I like buying in bulk.  I went to buy cheese for lasagna when my in-laws were coming for dinner and somehow I ended up leaving with enough cheese to make lasagna for about 147 people.  I don’t have that many in-laws, so we had a lot of cheese left over, hence the need for a recipe involving cheese, chicken, pasta, and sauce.  So here it is (it’s quite delicious, if I may say so myself):


Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken:


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 thick slices fresh Mozzarella Cheese

1 onion, thinly sliced (I used half a red onion, and half a yellow onion, because that’s what was in the refrigerator needing to be used up)

½ orange or red bell pepper, thinly sliced

Garlic Powder

Italian Seasoning

¼ cup butter, melted

1/3 cup dry white wine (I imagine you can use chicken broth instead, but it’s really good with the wine)

1 box of pasta 

2 small jars pasta sauce


Trim fat from chicken breasts and pound them out flat.  Roll one slice of the Mozzarella cheese, ¼ of the onion and pepper, and a sprinkle of garlic powder and Italian Seasoning in each chicken breast.  Place them in a baking dish, open side up.  Pour the wine and melted butter over them, then sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian Seasoning.  Cover, and bake at 350° for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until chicken is done.

Serve over pasta cooked according to package directions, with warm sauce.

Enjoy!