How to Make Swedish Meatballs

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By MarlaineMarie
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Swedish Meatballs

Hmmmmmmmmm Swedish meatballs. Every Scandinavian country seems to have many recipes for Swedish meatballs, probably because they are made as a way to use up leftovers. They can basically be made from the ground meat on hand, whatever filler is available and the sauce can be based on what is handy as well. This recipe gives you lots of options to do just that! In the old days, cream was the most handy, often soured cream that needed to be used up but now you can just buy some fresh - smiling.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Dutch oven
2 pounds ground meat - beef and/or pork
3 eggs
1 cup milk, cream, meat broth or water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs, 1 cup cubed bread, or 1 cup mashed potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste - white pepper optional
1 minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4teaspoon nutmeg
Gravy sauce - 2 cups water and 3 Tablespoons of flour
Sour cream sauce - 2 cups sour cream, 1 1/2 cups milk and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.

Step 1

Mix the ground meat, filler of your choice, salt and pepper, and other seasonings completely. Form into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on a wax paper lined platter. Makes about 80 meatballs. You can make them bigger but the flavor of the sauce won't get into them as well and they can get a bit dry.
Step 2

Bubbling Meatballs!

Oven fry (quick instructions below) or pan fry the meatballs. Even though the oven frying is easier and faster, the pan frying tastes a lot better. Heat a fry pan with some canola oil to medium-high heat. Put a couple meatballs in at a time, turning them with a spatula. Add a couple at a time until the pan is about a third full. Keep moving them around so they keep their shape and cook evenly. Fry for about 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Move them into a baking dish and continue cooking the meatballs.
Step 3

Make a sauce - you can either make a regular brown gravy sauce or a sour cream sauce. Remove all meatballs to a covered pan to keep them warm.

For a brown gravy sauce, drain all but 2 tablespoons of the pan fat. Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the pan fat and drippings, stirring as it cooks. Add the 2 cups water, slowly while stirring to loosen the tidbits of drippings on the side of the pan for more flavor. Continue to stir until the flour thickens the sauce.

For sour cream sauce - 2 cups sour cream, 1 & 1/2 cups milk and 2 Tablespoons cornstarch. Reduce the heat to medium low. Drain all but one tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Stir in cornstarch and blend in well. Add the milk slowly, stirring constantly. Add the sour cream and blend well. Cook slowly, never allowing the mixture to come to a boil until thickened.
Step 4

Return the meatballs to the Dutch oven and stir to cover - whether you are using the gravy or cream sauce. Simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Stir the cream sauce often and never let it boil. Or bake in the oven at 350 degrees for.
Step 5

For Oven-fried - use baking sheets or pans that have enclosed sides. Keep the meatballs from touching. Bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. Gravy can be made by draining all but two tablespoons of fat and using a half cup of water to loosen the drippings. Transfer drippings to a pan to finish the gravy. Make the cream sauce leaving a tablespoon of the fat and using a half cup of milk to loosen the drippings and transfer to a pan to finish.
Step 6

Serve over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes.