Swedish Meatballs
Tender beef and pork meatballs swimming in a rich, creamy gravy with a hint of nutmeg and allspice. These aren't the frozen kind – although there are nothing wrong with those. They always remind me of buying furniture for some reason. Serve them as an appetizer with toothpicks or over egg noodles for a full meal. The gravy is what makes them special: silky, savory, and just a little sweet.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely minced
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, minced onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix until just combined – don't overmix.
- Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs (about 40 meatballs). Place on a plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs in batches, about 2-3 minutes per side. They don't need to be cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute to make a roux.
- Slowly whisk in beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Return meatballs to the skillet and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cooked through and sauce has thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes, or as an appetizer with toothpicks.