I get hungry for Swedish Meatballs around this time of the year. These meatballs are different from other meatballs because of the spices (nutmeg, allspice and sometimes dill weed) mixed with the ground beef and pork, and the creamy gravy served over them. Swedish meatballs are usually served as a main dish with boiled potatoes.
I brought them to a party on Sunday in a slow cooker and put them on the smörgåsbord (potluck) table. Look who is already into the cookies at the end of the table—Blake and Jason.
Here are a couple of the meatballs on my plate, along with some other goodies including mushroom bread, pickled beets, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, some cheese cubes and a cracker.
Andi’s Swedish Meatballs
(I changed my recipe last year by adding the dill weed and cream to my favorite recipe. Both gave the meatballs more flavor and so, that's how I made them again this year. Another change I made several years ago, was to bake the meatballs instead of frying them. That was the year I was serving them to around 20 friends and I had quite a mess on my cooktop after frying meatballs for about an hour. Baking them is much easier and results in less clean up.)
Meatballs
1 egg
½ cup milk
¾ cup Progresso®dry bread crumbs
1 pound lean ground beef
½ pound ground pork
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Gravy
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups Progresso®beef broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
1. Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine egg, milk and bread crumbs; still to combine. Add beef, pork onion and spices to bowl. Using wooden spoon or hands, combine all ingredients. Using hands, shape mixture into 1 ½-inch balls.
2. Line 15x10x2-inch baking pan with foil. Place meatballs on foil. Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until meatballs are golden brown.
3. In 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan; melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubble; remove from heat. Stir in broth, using whisk. Return Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Stir in cream and dill weed.
4. Add cooked meatballs to gravy; cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated.
Served with boiled or mashed potatoes or boiled noodles.
About 30 meatballs