If you grew up in the Midwest, you know there’s no end of delicious comfort food! And of those, Swedish Meatballs are an indulgence high on my personal list! The Twin Cities (Minneapolis & St. Paul) is home to a large number of Scandinavian Americans, so as you might guess, Swedish Meatballs are very popular, especially during the Holidays.
In many families, Swedish Meatballs are served for Christmas Eve dinner and you might find them served on New Year’s as a traditional meal. You’ll also find them at parties, served out of a slow cooker, or if it’s a fancy party, a chafing dish. Now and then you’ll see plates or platters of Swedish Meatballs, skewered with toothpicks, ready for the taking. No matter how they’re served, though, Swedish Meatballs are just a good dose of comfort.
About These Swedish Meatballs:
In these busy days, most of the Swedish meatballs are simply made, often with the convenience of frozen meatballs, and usually served with a delish sour cream sauce. That’s actually how I first learned to love them. And someday, I’ll post a couple of my recipes.
This one, though, adapted from Tyler Florence (I believe he said Lena is his Mother In Law) is different! When I saw him make “Lena’s Swedish Meatballs” I had to try it. I knew I’d been missing out! They have a darker sauce, which I’ve heard is traditional in Sweden, with just a touch of cream to round it out and make it silky.
And while that silky brown sauce is so good I swear you’ll want to lick your plate, the meatballs are fantastic, too. They’re just tender little balls of love, all browned on the outside with just such a beautiful texture and flavor throughout. They’re a little labor-intensive (a scoop helps so much for portioning and an electric skillet, for browning if you have one) but so worth it.
So, friends and family, the secret’s out, now, on “my” Swedish Meatballs. The biggest secret, though? I only have a drop or two of Swedish ancestry, hidden away in my DNA (It came down through my Irish side) but if you toss in a few “uff dahs” and a “doncha know” or two when serving these, nobody will ever know!
Serving Swedish Meatballs:
Swedish meatballs are traditionally served over egg noodles, at least here in the States, although I do know some people go rogue and use mashed potatoes.
Ligonberry jam is a traditional side with Swedish meatballs. It’s delicious, bright, and tart and cuts through the richness of the meal. If it’s difficult to find or super pricey, a little cranberry sauce is a great accompaniment, instead.
How I Changed up the Original Recipe:
First of all, I made a few changes to the recipe. Use the link above for the original recipe.
- Tyler said the recipe would make 60 meatballs but it made way over a hundred. The recipe, below, makes 40 meatballs. The sauce is the same. You would be sad if there were less sauce!
- I squeeze out the bread just as Tyler instructs but reserve the liquid. No need to waste it.
- I cut way back on the salt and used a pinch of white pepper. If you don’t have white pepper, substitute 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- I don’t use beef, pork, and veal; veal is pricey if it can be found. This is best with the beef/pork mixture but in a pinch, use all beef.
- I changed the chicken stock to beef (years ago beef stock wasn’t always great; many chefs and cooks subbed in chicken. Either is fine.)
- I changed up the cooking method and the amount of butter needed for cooking. There’s no need to brown and then bake the meatballs; they’re cooked through as they brown.
Tips for Success:
No doubt this is not the simplest of recipes, but it’s very doable when broken down into parts. I often make the meat mixture the night before; if needed, the meatballs can be cooked ahead, too.
- Use a good sturdy white sandwich bread.
- For the most flavorful and unctuous meatballs, don’t use super lean ground beef, especially if you’re not using pork and/or veal.
- Do not overmix the meatball mixture. Adding the spices in with the bread, cream, and egg yolk makes it easier to make sure they are distributed throughout without overmixing.
- Refrigerate after mixing if possible and refrigerate after forming. The first makes the meatballs easier to form, and the second makes them more cohesive and helps them keep their round shape.
- A 1 1/2″ scoop, about 2 tablespoons, makes the perfect-sized meatballs. Scoop them all, then form them into balls.
- Having a bowl of cold water standing by to wet palms helps prevent the meatballs from sticking to palms.
- Don’t try to get the meatballs completely smooth. Little knobs and bumps help them hold onto the sauce.
- If working in batches, pay attention to the bottom of the pan; wipe out between batches if it’s getting dark and sticky. The sauce is made from the “fond” the brown substance on the bottom of the pan. If it burns, the sauce will be bitter.
- If you have an electric fry pan, pull it out. A larger flat surface makes browning the meatballs so much easier and the sauce can be made right in the fry pan.
- Add the jam to the sauce to taste. It’s magical. If you don’t have black currant (it really is the best) use a dark jam, maybe grape?
Saving Money on Tyler Florence’s Swedish Meatballs:
Ground Beef:
- Ground Beef is on sale often and freezes well – there’s no need to ever pay full price.
- The best prices at your grocery are before the Summer Holidays. Aldi and Lidl have great sales and your buyer’s club is worth checking.
- Each percentage drops to a low about once a quarter; being versatile gives more options for savings. The higher the fat percentage, the cheaper the cost, and the deeper the sales but the more waste in fat.
- Take advantage of sale-priced family packs – check the price per pound. Divvy up and freeze. Most recipes call for one pound; some recipes can get by with a little less.
Ground Pork:
- Often difficult to find (check the fresh meat aisle and the frozen foods) and pricey when it’s available.
- If you can’t get it, don’t want to pay so much, or want the freshest ground pork, just buy shoulder, chunk it up, and pulse it in your food processor. Pulsing is easiest when the pork is very cold. Portion the rest out (they’re usually large) for other recipes.
- You’re always going to save money if you buy pork shoulder on a deep sale, break it down (see my post on Large Pork Roasts), and have usable sizes in your freezer.
Cream:
- Cream is always cheaper at discount groceries like Aldi & Lidl. Their everyday price beats out the buyer’s club and the best grocery store holiday sales price.
- Cream keeps for weeks so if the standard grocery is the only option, get in the habit of picking at a low before holidays.
Tyler Florence Swedish Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs
This recipe makes about 40 meatballs and a generous amount of sauce.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus optional rest
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour plus optional rest time
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: main dish beef
- Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients
meatballs:
- whole milk or cream (see instructions)
- 1 1/2 pieces sturdy white bread, crust removed, torn, and soaked in milk or cream
- a little additional cream if needed (see instructions)
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- a good pinch of white pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 pound each ground beef, pork, and veal (may omit veal and make up the difference with beef/pork)
sauce:
- 2 tablespoons total of butter or fat from drippings
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of white pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 2 tablespoons black currant jelly or jam
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves for garnish
Instructions
meatballs:
Add the bread to a small bowl. Cover with milk or cream and allow to soak until saturated. Gently squeeze the moisture from the bread, adding the bread to a large bowl and reserving the liquid.
Measure out 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid, discarding any remaining. If there is not 1/4 cup, add a little cream to bring the measurement up to 1/4 cup. Add to the bowl with the bread.
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of butter to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add to the bowl with the bread and milk/cream. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and set aside.
To bowl, add egg yolk, salt, white pepper, and allspice. Mix until everything is fully incorporated. Add in the ground beef & pork. Mix gently with hands.
With a bowl of cold water standing by, form meatballs about 1-inch across. Dip fingers in cold water from time to time, to keep the meat from sticking to hands.
Melt the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium high heat. Add meatballs, working in batches if needed. Note: Do not overcrowd. Brown, turning often, until cooked through. If working in batches, use only part of the butter for each batch; pan may need to be wiped out between batches. Save drippings and don’t clean the pan from the final batch.
Notes:
- For forming the meatballs, a small 1 1/2″ scoop works very well. When formed the meatballs will be slightly over an inch.
- Refrigerating the meatball mixture before forming makes it easier to work with and refrigerating meatballs before cooking helps them to keep a round shape and hold together better.
sauce:
Pour off all but two tablespoons of the fat from the skillet and return it to the heat (add a little butter if needed). Sprinkle in the flour, and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk to dissolve the flour into the fat.
Slowly pour in the stock and stir to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer, stirring now and then, for several minutes until the liquid is reduced and the mixture starts to thicken to a sauce consistency.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Lower the heat and stir in the cream. Add the black currant jam to taste. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
may be made partially ahead:
Meatball mixture may be made the night before and refrigerated overnight.
Meatballs may be made and cooked a day or two ahead. Add a little water to the grease and drippings in the skillet, pour into a cup, and refrigerate. When ready to make the sauce, remove the fat (use two tablespoons of it for the sauce) and set aside the drippings to add in with the stock. The drippings may worked through a small strainer for an absolutely smooth sauce. Warm the meatballs through in the simmering sauce.
nutrition:
Based on 6 servings using Ground Beef (without noodles): calories 340, tot fat 18g; sat fat 9g; chol 127mg; sod 783mg; pot 199mg; tot carb 19g; fiber 1g; sug 4g; prot 25g; vit a 12%; vit c 8%; calc 5%; iron 19%
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