Have you tried Swedish Meatballs before? The first time I had them was in the 1990’s when I worked at a bank in downtown Toronto. There was a nearby food court and Swedish Meatballs were one of the specials. They were served on a bed of rice.
Today, most of you are familiar with the home furnishing store, IKEA. Currently, there are 482 stores located in 63 countries. Each store has its cafeteria – all of them serving Swedish Meatballs. That’s a lot of meatballs eaten by many people around the world.
I have never been to Sweden but with the popularity of Swedish Meatballs – I will assume most will want an IKEA version. Juicy meatballs on a bed of mashed potatoes, some green peas and lingonberry sauce.
My version contains a beef/pork mix for the meatballs, some grated onion, stale bread, an egg, salt, peppers and spices (and a Balkan extra step for tender meatballs). I made this for my family and adults and kids both loved it. You will too!
Swedish Meatballs
Cuisine: SwedishDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- For the Meatballs
3/4 lb. medium ground beef
3/4 lb. medium ground pork
2 slices stale white slice bread
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, grated (use box grater side with large holes)
1 large egg
3 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 cup club soda (carbonated water)
For the Sauce
3 Tbsp. of unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 1/2 cups hot beef broth
1/2 cup full fat cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Into a medium bowl, add the slice bread and milk and squeeze bread and milk together and set aside. In a large bowl, add your ground beef and pork, onion, egg, nutmeg, allspice, salt, pepper. Add the soaked bread and mix with your hands until incorporated. Fry off a piece of the mince, adjust taste/seasonings. Add club soda, mix in. Cover and place in fridge for 1 hour.
- Take your meatball mix out of the fridge. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan and pre-heat oven to 450F. Roll mixture into meatballs and place on sheet pan. Place in your pre-heated oven and bake for 12 minutes or until just browned. Take out of the oven and set aside.
- Place a large pot on your stovetop over medium heat and add the butter, Once melted, add the flour and mustard and stir for a couple of minutes. While whisking, pour in your hot stock and bring up to a simmer. Continue to whisk until thickened (about 7 minutes). Add the cream, meatballs and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, green peas and Lingonberry Sauce (you can buy from IKEA) or serve with Cranberry sauce.
Notes
- Carbonated water/club soda: It will make your meatballs lighter, more tender and juicier.
