The Best Swedish Meatballs

Swedish meatballs are a staple in my childhood, and the recipes I learned have a variety of flavors and personalities. After trying out several different ingredient combinations and cooking methods, I found the recipe that I liked best:

Cream-soaked, seasoned bread is mixed with beef and pork and then baked until golden brown. Then, the meatballs are rolled in a creamy, savory gravy. This dish is comforting and delicious at the same.

What are Swedish meatballs?

Swedish meatballs are synonymous with Sweden, whether it is from frequent IKEA visits, Christmas dinners in grandma’s house, or the strong Scandinavian pride that permeates the Midwest.

Swedish meatballs are traditionally made from pork and beef with cream, onion, and egg. They are served along with mashed potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and lingonberries. The perfect combination of sweet, sour, and tangy.

Swedish meatballs were based, if you really want to dig deep, on a dish that King Charles XII brought back from Turkey at the beginning of the 18th century. This means… that they could be Turkish meatballs. Excuse me, please? Intrigue!

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

You may or may want to make Swedish meatballs on a Tuesday night, but they will take some time. You have to do the rolling, baking, and gravy-making.

They are special. They are easy to make. These are great for holiday meals, Dinner Club, or when you want to make your life better.

Here are some basics:

1. Mix up the meatballs. (Pork, beef, or BREAD. Butter, onions, garlic, and all other good things).
2. You’ll then roll and bake the cookies until they are done.
3. Then, you will whisk and build the gravy. This includes Butter, flour, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, a little nutmeg and allspice (if you like), and heavy cream to give it that creamy texture. Some recipes use sour cream, but the cream is traditionally used to create a creamy texture. )
4. Stir the meatballs and gravy together in a pan.

Swedish Meatballs: Tips for the Best Swedish Meatballs

This is not a recipe for a weeknight, but let’s discuss some tips.

• It’s okay if the meatball mixture is a bit wetter than other meatball recipes. The meatballs will be tender and delicious.
• Make sure your meatballs are not touching when you bake them in the oven. The meatballs will be crispy and not steamy if they aren’t feeling.
• SAVE YOUR GREASE Save the grease after making the meatballs to use in your gravy. Don’t worry; the recipe will remind you.
• Make the sides. Make the sides! The meatballs taste delicious, and they go well with mashed potatoes. But the combination of the sweet/tangy lingonberries and zippiness from the cucumbers really brings it all together.
• This Vegetarian Swedish meatball is the perfect recipe for you or someone else at your table who needs a vegetarian alternative to this recipe.

Swedish Meatballs: What to serve with them

Swedish meatballs are delicious by themselves, but I’ll show you what else to serve them with.

• Creamy Mashed potatoes: I love these because they are so easy to make and have a lot of garlic herb flavor. If you don’t like potatoes or have no time, Swedish meatballs are often served over egg noodles. We, however, prefer the mashed potato version. )
• Tangy Lingonberry Sauce is a recipe that we have adapted from the package of lingonberries.
• Vinegary Cucumber salad is a delicious, refreshing, and healthy way to cut through all the other ingredients. It awakens the entire plate.

Ingredients

Swedish Meatballs

•  4 Slices White bread, no crusts
•  1/2 heavy cream
•  One teaspoon of Onion powder
•  Half a teaspoon of Garlic powder
•  1 pound Ground beef ( Use 85/15
•  One pound of Ground Pork. You can also substitute another pound of ground beef.
•  One egg
•  2 Tablespoons Brown sugar
•  Two teaspoons Kosher salt
•  A few shakes of Black pepper

Gravy:

•  2 Tablespoons Butter. You can also use the drippings of the meatballs that you have baked.
•  2 Tablespoons
•  1 1/2 Beef broth More as required
•  One heavy cream
•  One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce More to Taste
•  1 – 2 The best way to eat teaspoons is by using them. Brown sugar
•  One teaspoon Kosher Salt. Add the salt to taste (I recommend adding it at the end so that you can adjust how much you like)
•  The smallest of dashes of nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

Meatball mix: Soak the white bread for 5-10 mins in heavy cream. You can use a fork or your hands to mash the bread. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread paste with the garlic powder and onion powder, the beef and pork, the egg, the brown sugar, and the salt and pepper. Once everything is well mixed, form small meatballs. If you find that the mixture is too moist, add some panko and a tablespoon of Cornstarch to make it more firm. Don’t worry if the mix is wet – it is normal. This mixture makes very tender meatballs.

Bake Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs in a baking dish or sheet pan. Bake meatballs for 20-25 min until they are cooked through.

Gravy Time: Melt the Butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. You’ll be adding the meatballs to this pan. Make sure you use a large skillet, saute pan, or braiser casserole. Let it bubble for about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add the beef broth and stir after each addition. Gradually, a smooth gravy will start to form. Add the heavy cream and season it with sugar, salt, and Worcestershire sauce. You can also add a little nutmeg if desired. To get the perfect taste, adjust and taste again. It’s there that the magic happens.

Add the meatballs to the gravy. Cover the meatballs to keep them warm until serving time, or place the pan in the oven to continue cooking on low/warm heat. The meatballs taste great by themselves, but they become even more delicious when they are soaked in the sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes and a cucumber salad, along with lingonberries.