Swedish Meatballs

Juicy, flavorful Swedish Meatballs in classic rich and creamy sauce. Such a great comforting dinner. Served with mashed potato and of course some lingonberry jam and steamed vegetables. Swedish meatballs have always been super delectable, and Ikea has made them popular. With this recipe, you can make them in the comfort of your own home without making an adventure to the store. And I dare say they are even better! Super easy to make. You’ll be surprised you haven’t made them sooner. So what are you waiting for?!

You will love that this meal is so easy to make and FAST!!! The meatballs are packed with such delicious flavor. Savory, comforting, and smothered with a sauce that melts in your mouth. You will quickly agree these are the BEST you have ever had!

Let’s get cooking:

It’s all about the buttery cream sauce and the fact that they require just one pan! They are filled with wonderful warm spices and finished with a fragrant, heavenly cream sauce.  Gather all your ingredients, and let’s start cooking 

I am pleasantly surprised, how easy and fast this meal is. It reminded me of the one you get served in Ikea. My whole family enjoyed it. Even the kids loved it—definitely a keeper in my books.

The easiest meatballs

It is up to you what meat you prefer with your meatballs. Mix pork and beef or use ground chicken. I use ground turkey often but also like to mix half beef and half pork. I make it Gluten-Free since my daughter is celiac. That way everybody can eat it in our family. As usual, I made some changes to the original recipe. I added more garlic and smoked paprika and my beloved “everything bagel” spice. ( I add this almost everywhere)

• 1 pound of ground meat
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup of gluten-free bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1 tbsp of everything bagel spice
• 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1 tbs of oil

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Make your meatballs:

Please don’t make them too big. These meatballs are pan-fried and finished off in the oven. The last thing you want to do is undercook them. They should be about the size of a rounded tablespoon. I usually make them about an inch or so.

When you form the balls, make sure that they are tight. That way, they don’t fall apart in the pan. The breadcrumbs and eggs also help hold the mixture together. If the meatballs are too sticky, add more breadcrumbs.

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Brown your meatballs

Heat your skillet. Add a little bit of oil and brown your meatballs on all sides—no need to be all the way cook. Just seared around as you will finish them in the oven. Transfer your meatballs to a tray and put them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 350F. My tray fits into my counter toaster oven, which always makes me happy. I do not have to heat the big beast. Keep them warm in the oven while you make the sauce.

The sauce is pretty quick, so by the time you are done with sauce, meatballs will be finished as well.

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Sauce:

Use the same pan from the meatballs with all the drippings. I use lean meat; that way, not much fat is cooked off the meatballs. If you do have excess fat, clean your skillet and start fresh on your sauce.

Start by making a roux.

Add 3 Tbsp of fresh butter to the pan. Heat the butter in the pan on medium heat until it melts and starts to bubble up.

Slowly whisk in 2 Tbsp of Gluten-Free flour. Stir until smooth. Continue to stir, allowing the flour mixture to cook, several minutes. Do not burn your roux.

• 3 tbsp of unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp of gluten-free flour
• 1 cup of a stock
• 1/2 cup of half & half or heavy cream
• 2 tsp of Gluten-Free soy sauce
• 1 tbs of Dijon mustard
• salt to taste

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Add stock to the roux to make a sauce. When the roux has cooked to a lovely shade of light brown, slowly add the stock to the roux, stirring as you add the stock.

The stock will sputter at first, and the roux may seize up, but keep adding the stock slowly and keep stirring. Eventually, the sauce will loosen and become silky.

Next, add Gluten-Free soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Let bubble for about 5 minutes. Just make sure the heat is low; that way, the cream will stay smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add tbsp or two of water if needed.

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Turn the heat on low heat and stir in the half & half. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.)

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Time to take your meatballs from an oven. Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and cook on low heat to warm the meatballs for a few minutes before serving. Make sure to coat meatballs all over with delicious sauce.

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What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs? 

Swedish meatballs are the type of recipe that can be served all by themselves! The perfect appetizer.

I love to add some simple steamed veggies and go traditional by serving with a dollop of lingonberry jam over mashed potatoes (just like at Ikea!)

Cooking tips:

A few ideas to keep in mind for a dinner that’ll tickle the taste buds.

• More breadcrumbs: If you are using ground turkey or chicken, you might need more breadcrumbs. Just a bit at a time if you are making meatballs and they are too sticky.
• Meat: You can use a combination of beef and pork for this recipe. Using pork add extra fat, which will give a moist, tender meatball. You can also use ground turkey, chicken, or a combination of meats.
• Overmixing:  Be Careful not to overmix the meat mixture, or it can become tough.
• Cream: You can substitute half & half for heavy cream. It is very IMPORTANT not to cook cream on high heat. It will separate.

What Jam to use

• Swap the lingonberry jam with fresh cranberry sauce.
• Any jam, sweet/tart flavor will work.

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Can you make the meatballs ahead?

Yes, you can. Make the meatballs and freeze them separately from the sauce if you are making sauce ahead as well. Pull out of the freezer and let thaw in a fridge. Then reheat the meatballs in the oven or microwave.

Who inspired me?

Suppose you wonder who inspired this delicious recipe. Original Swedish meatballs recipe is made by @KitchenSanctuary. I found this recipe one day while browsing Pinterest. The simplicity of this dish grabbed me right away. I checked if I have all ingredients and started cooking. I loved that this dish is made out of ingredients; most of us have a home already.

Other Dinner recipes to try

• Orange Chicken Everybody’s favorite take-out meal made at home.
• Creamy Marsala Chicken Soup This Creamy Chicken Soup is everything you will love…slow simmered into a cozy, creamy, comforting soup.  It is the perfect ‘one-pot’ dish. It is easy to make and fast.
• Easy to make Traditional Meatloaf – just like mom used to make, made with ground beef.

Until next time…!

DOBROU CHUT!

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