Swedish Meatballs

The approach of cold weather has us often longing for warm, hearty meals. These savory, rich, gravy-smothered meatballs will certainly help keep your kitchen warm and your belly full. Enjoy them over mashed potatoes, or with a spoonful of lingonberry jam for a tangy contrast to cut the richness. 

Ingredients for the meatballs:

10 oz ground beef

10 oz ground pork

1 yellow onion

½ cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp black pepper

1 tsp oil

Ingredients for the gravy:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 cups beef broth

1 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

Peel your onion and chop off the ends. Grate the onion into a large bowl, leaving the onion juice in the bowl.

Add your breadcrumbs to the grated onion and stir to combine. Let them sit for at least 1 minute to absorb. 

Beat your egg until smooth and add it to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

Add your ground pork, ground beef, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt to the bowl. Mix very well, using your hands if needed, until everything is well combined. 

In a large skillet, heat your oil on medium high-heat. 

While the oil is heating up, you can roll out your meatballs. Have a very large plate near you, or several plates, to place your meatballs on as you form them. I recommend using a tablespoon measure to measure out each meatball. Press and roll the meatballs into balls until you’ve finished. 

Gently set your meatballs into your skillet, making sure you don’t crowd the pan. You will have to cook the meatballs in several batches. Cook them on medium-high heat on each side for about 3 minutes. Set the finished meatballs on a clean plate as you cook each batch. 

Once you’ve cooked all the meatballs, you can make your gravy. 

Leave all the meatball drippings in the skillet, and add your butter while turning the heat down to medium. 

Once the butter has melted, add your flour and whisk thoroughly. Cook it for 1 minute, turning the heat up to medium-high.

Add ¼ of a cup of your beef broth to the skillet and whisk until completely mixed, then add the rest. 

When the beef broth is well combined, allow the gravy to simmer and cook it for 10 minutes and thicken up.

After 10 minutes, add your heavy cream and whisk once more to combine. Allow it to simmer for another 2 minutes. 

Add your meatballs to the gravy and enjoy them served over mashed potatoes.