Easy Swedish Meatballs

This Easy Swedish Meatballs recipe is a real savior this back-to-school season. Seems to me it was only yesterday that we were celebrating the end of school and the beginning of summer. But now it’s time to get organized again!  For me, making easy dinners that are freezer-friendly like these oven-baked Swedish meatballs is part of the solution.  First of all, they’re Chloé’s favorites, I think she loves them even more than pasta, and Chloé really LOVES her pasta! Second, I always make a big batch and freeze it in individual portions with some rice and green peas which means I always have handy a lunch solution that Chloé will love…so practical those nights when you realize that you have no leftovers and absolutely nothing left to make a sandwich with!

Since I usually make them on a weeknight, I’ll take some shortcuts like cooking them in the oven instead of searing them, which is less messy and while they cook, it gives me time to prepare  the sauce! Of course searing meatballs in a skillet, caramelizing the meat will always be better than cooking it in the oven so if you have time, go ahead, but honestly, it is still really good baked in the oven and a real time saver. What goes well with Swedish Meatballs? Mashed potatoes of course!  It’s the perfect companion for that delicious gravy and it goes especially well with a green vegetable such as brocoli. And let’s not forget lingonberry jam. That’s how they serve it in Sweden. I know, I know, it sounds totally weird, mixing meatballs with jam but you know what, as strange as it sounds, it really works! Lingonberry jam is not that common in America so you can substitute with a cranberry jam or, next time you go to your local IKEA store, buy some in their grocery section. http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60113551/

5.0 from 1 reviews

Easy Swedish Meatballs

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

For a better sauce, I recommend using canned beef broth, not the "ready-to-serve" broth that is really better for soups, or the powder.

Author: Valerie Dumas

Serves: 6 portions

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• ½ cup breadcrumbs or panko
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1,5 lb (700 g) lean ground pork
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. dill, chopped
• ½ tsp. ground allspice
• ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
• Sauce
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ cup 35% cream
• 2 tbsp. dill, chopped
• ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Meatballs
2. Preheat your oven to 375⁰F
3. In a large skillet, roast the breadcrumbs or panko until lightly golden, stirring constantly. Reserve in large bowl.
4. Using the same skillet, soften the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, about 5 minutes. Combine with the breadcrumbs in the bowl and let cool for a few minutes (or it will be too hot to handle while making the meatballs). Reserve your skillet for the sauce.
5. Add your ground pork, milk, egg yolks, spices and dill to your breadcrumbs mixture, stirring to combine.
6. Add some salt and pepper.
7. Wet your hands and roll each meatball with about 1 tablespoons of the pork mixture. Set aside on a baking dish.
8. Put your baking dish in the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
9. Sauce
10. Melt your butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over it and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until the mixture turns golden brown.
11. Add the beef broth and cream, stirring with a whisk, and bring to a boil. Add your meatballs, cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes or until your meatballs are fully cooked. Sprinkle with the dill and nutmeg.
12. Add broth or cream if you feel it needs it.
13. Serve with mashed potatoes, a green vegetable and lingonberry or cranberry jam.

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