Swedish Meatballs

So last week I pretty much did the most awful thing I could have possibly done to my eyes. The girls were sick and there were three nights of basically zero sleep. I don’t know if my eyes just became really dry or what, but you guys, I somehow got tears in BOTH of my eyes.

One of them was so incredibly painful, all I could do was cry. It felt like I was blinking against glass. I was obviously unable to look at a screen for a few days and am still on the mend. My vision is not fully restored in my left eye. It’s just been a nightmare!

This story has absolutely nothing to do with these Swedish meatballs, by the way, I just wanted to share it since I haven’t written a life update in sometime! Ugh. Let’s talk about the meatballs now, shall we?

These meatballs, oh man, SO.GOOD. Like, better than I even thought that they would be.

Swedish Meatballs

I’ve only ever had the popular Ikea Swedish meatballs once and sure, I suppose they were tasty, but it’s been so long. It seemed like a dish my husband would enjoy though so I’ve been wanting to try my own recipe.

You may see from my photos that my sauce is not as light as other recipes. I took a taste of the gravy before mixing in the cream and it was so dang flavorful, I just didn’t want to add too much cream. All of the brown bits left in the pan from browning the meatballs gets mixed into the gravy and adds such nice flavor!

Swedish Meatballs

Another note about the gravy, I actually recommend making extra gravy. After you start scooping out the meatballs, the gravy goes fast and I wanted more to mix in with the egg noodles. I’d even consider doubling the gravy next time.

I used just under a pound and a half of ground beef for this recipe and got about 24 meatballs. I would say about 4 are a good serving size for an adult. I like to serve these meatballs over egg noodles, but they would also be yummy with mashed potatoes!

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs
Yield: 8 servings

Swedish Meatballs

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

These easy homemade Swedish Meatballs are the best weeknight comfort food!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the gravy:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup half and half (or heavy cream or whole milk)
  • 4 tablespoons white wine (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, panko, garlic powder, salt, and parsley. Use your hands to bring the mixture together until well-combined. Roll the meat into about about 1 1/2-inches in diameter.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs (can cook in batches if needed) and cook, turning every 2 minutes to brown on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel (don't worry if they are not completely cooked just yet).
  3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook until it turns golden. Pour in the broth and cream (and wine, if using). Whisk together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add the meatballs back into the pan. Lower the heat to medium low, cover, and continue cooking until the sauce is thickened and the meatballs are cooked through. Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Notes

If you want extra gravy for the noodles or potatoes, feel free to double the sauce recipe!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

3 meatballs with gravy

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 24.6gSaturated Fat: 10.8gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 442mgCarbohydrates: 9.2gFiber: .5gSugar: .7gProtein: 28.5g

Swedish Meatballs