Swedish Meatballs

Delightfully decadent, this recipe for Swedish Meatballs properly pays homage to the traditional dish. These Köttbullar are made of ground pork and beef, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a brown gravy, and of course lingonberry jam. With just one minor tweak–the exclusion of heavy cream–this dish is lighter yet flavorful. No need to travel to Sweden or ahem…Ikea, your home is now the best place to get authentic Swedish Meatballs. Enjoy and have a colorful day!

• Time and Serving Size

  Time:

  Prep: 5min

  Cook: 20min

  Serving Size: 5

• Ingredients

  Meatballs:

  2 slices white sandwich bread (crusts removed and cubed)

  1 onion (small, brown, white or yellow)

  0.5 pound ground beef

  0.5 pound ground pork

  1 egg

  ½ tsp ground nutmeg

  ½ tsp All Spice powder

  ¼ tsp black pepper

  ¾ tsp salt

  1 Tbsp oil

  Gravy

  4 Tbsp butter unsalted

  4 Tbsp flour

  2 cups beef broth (salt reduced, or sub with chicken broth)

  5 tablespoons whole milk

  Mashed Potatoes:

  1 lb Potatoes

  ½ cup whole milk

  1 tablespoon butter

  parsley

  sage

  rosemary

  Side of Green Beans:

  5 cups green beans

  olive oil

  salt

  garlic granules

• Nutrition

  Nutrition per serving

  Calories, 566.93kcal, 28% DV

  Total Fat, 38.48g, 55% DV

  Carbs, 34.01g, 13% DV

  Sugars, 6.83g, 8% DV

  Protein, 23.62g, 47% DV

  Sodium, 1009.02mg, 50% DV

  Fiber, 5.52g, 20% DV

  Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

  Health Score: 5/10

  *Health Scores are calculated on a 1-10 scale based on nutrient density and USDA recommendations for a healthy diet. A higher Health Score means healthier food. The value based on impact of more than 28 nutrients.

  Nutrients in this dish with a positive impact:

  Unsaturated Fat, 15g, 29% DV

  Fiber, 6g, 20% DV

  Protein, 24g, 47% DV

  Potassium, 816mg, 23% DV

  Magnesium, 62mg, 17% DV

  Iron, 4mg, 25% DV

Making the Mashed Potatoes

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook peeled potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Step 2

Drain potatoes, season generously with garlic, add fresh herbs, milk and butter.

Step 3

Using a masher, mash until potatoes are smooth and creamy.

Making the Meatballs

Step 1

Using a food processor pulse onions until they are chopped finely and juices are released.

Step 2

Pour onion and juices into a stand mixer. Add chopped bread and one tablespoon of milk. Mix well and then soak for 1 minute.

Step 3

Add remaining meatball ingredients. Mix well and then form the meat mixture a bit at a time into meatballs. You should have about 25 meatballs.

Cooking Meatballs

Step 1

Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Brown half of the meatballs on all sides for about 3 minutes total. Once browned, set the meatballs aside in a bowl or on a plate. Then repeat with the remaining batch. (The meatballs will still be raw inside.)

Step 2

Discard any excess oil and then lower heat to medium.

Making the Gravy

Step 1

Add two tabs of butter to the large pan or dutch oven, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir continuously and pour in 1/4 cup of the beef broth the sauce will thicken. Then while stirring slowly pour in the remaining stock.

Step 2

Add in the meatballs and juices to the sauce then bring the sauce up to a rapid simmer. Stir occasionally and cook for about 9 minutes or until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a thin gravy. Add the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Making the Green Beans

Step 1

Trim green beans and cook in a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of garlic granules.

To Serve

Step 1

Plate a portion of mashed potatoes and ladle meatballs and gravy on top. Add lingonberry sauce on the side. Enjoy!