Swedish-ish Meatballs

Swedish-ish Meatballs

So I compared my recipe (this one) with my mother’s (who is Swedish) and while I captured the spirit of the Swedish meatball I did make 3 technical errors. First, traditional Swedish meatballs use half ground beef and half ground pork (I only used ground beef). Second, I added garlic but really; I’m half Italian and I basically add garlic to everything. Third, I didn’t fry the meatballs (I believe traditionally the meatballs are fried in butter) I baked them. Thus I present my recipe for Swedish-ish meatballs 🙂

I am re-posting this recipe in honour of my mother who made this for my kids’ dinner tonight at their sleepover with my parents 🙂 

Serves 4 – 6

Meatballs:

3 Pieces of whole wheat baguette (1 inch thick), cut into chunks

¼ – ½ cup milk (I used 2%)

454 g extra lean ground beef

1 Medium onion, grated

3 Cloves garlic, crushed

1 (Large) egg

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 375.

In a large mixing bowl pour the milk over the bread chunks and let the bread soak; use enough milk to completely saturate the bread without leaving any excess in the bowl.

When you are left with soaked bread add all of the ingredients to the bowl; mix well using your hand. Stop mixing just when the ingredients have come together, you don’t want to over work the meat.

Then start to roll the meat balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet. If you don’t have a good quality nonstick baking sheet line it with parchment or wax paper rather than using oil.

The meatballs should be rolled into the size of a golf ball there will be 12 to 15 meatballs, just try to be uniform in size.

Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the gravy:

1 ½ Cup sodium reduced beef stock

½ Cup (2%) milk

2 tbsp all purpose flour

½ tsp dried thyme

½ Beef Boullion cube

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp half & half (10%) cream

Whisk together the beef stock, milk, flour and dried thyme then bring it to a boil over medium-high in a large skillet until it thickens.

When the gravy has come to a boil and thickened, add the boullion cube, Worchestershire sauce and Dijon mustard; stir well until the boullion cube has dissolved.

Promptly drop the heat to low and mix until the gravy has stopped bubbling and then stir in the in the cream.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

When the meatballs are ready to come out of the oven, carefully remove them from the baking sheet and add them to the pot with the gravy.

Serve immediately, with rice or mashed potatoes.

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes:

1. The meatballs can easily be made using ground turkey or ground chicken, just omit the egg and use a ½ tsp of salt.   Then of course, use chicken stock in place of beef for the gravy.
2. Mushroom gravy would be incredible here too.
3. I served this dinner with Roasted Broccoli.
4. Originally posted on September 5, 2016! 

Swedish-ish Meatballs

So I compared my recipe (this one) with my mother's (who is Swedish) and while I captured the spirit of the Swedish meatball I did make 3 technical errors. First, traditional Swedish meatballs use half ground beef and half ground pork (I only used ground beef). Second, I added garlic but really; I’m half Italian and I basically add garlic to everything. Third, I didn’t fry the meatballs (I believe traditionally the meatballs are fried in butter) I baked them. Thus I present my recipe for Swedish-ish meatballs 🙂

Servings 4-6

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Pieces of whole wheat baguette (1 inch thick) , cut into chunks
• 1 cup milk (I used 2%), divided
• 454 g extra lean ground beef
• 1 Medium onion, , grated
• 3 Cloves garlic , crushed
• 1 Large egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cup sodium-reduced beef stock
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp (dried) thyme
• 1/2 Beef Boullion cube
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp half & half (10%) cream

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375.
2. In a large mixing bowl pour the milk over the bread chunks and let the bread soak; use enough milk to completely saturate the bread without leaving any excess in the bowl.
3. When you are left with soaked bread add all of the ingredients to the bowl; mix well using your hand. Stop mixing just when the ingredients have come together, you don’t want to over work the meat.
4. Then start to roll the meat balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet. If you don’t have a good quality nonstick baking sheet line it with parchment or wax paper rather than using oil.
5. The meatballs should be rolled into the size of a golf ball there will be 12 to 15 meatballs, just try to be uniform in size.
6. Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the gravy:
8. Whisk together the beef stock, milk, flour and dried thyme then bring it to a boil over medium-high in a large skillet until it thickens.
9. When the gravy has come to a boil and thickened, add the boullion cube, Worchestershire sauce and Dijon mustard; stir well until the boullion cube has dissolved.
10. Promptly drop the heat to low and mix until the gravy has stopped bubbling and then stir in the in the cream.
11. Taste and adjust seasoning.
12. When the meatballs are ready to come out of the oven, carefully remove them from the baking sheet and add them to the pot with the gravy.
13. Serve immediately, with rice or mashed potatoes.
14. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes

1. The meatballs can easily be made using ground turkey or ground chicken, just omit the egg and use a ½ tsp of salt.   Then of course, use chicken stock in place of beef for the gravy.
2. Mushroom gravy would be incredible here too.
3. I served this dinner with Roasted Broccoli.