Swedish Meatballs

Total Time: 45 mins
Swedish Meatballs are a classic comfort food that takes tender meatballs that are sauteed to perfection and then finished off in a simple gravy. Serve these with creamy mashed potatoes and you'll be in for a warming and delicious treat.
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Swedish Meatballs are a tried and true dinner classic. Tender and perfectly seasoned meatballs are seared and then finished off in a savory gravy for the most comforting of meals. I don’t ever believe in reinventing the wheel when it comes to a classic recipe like Swedish Meatballs, however I do believe there are ways to make this recipe more streamlined like opting for a store bought meatloaf mix to save you time and effort. This is a great weeknight meal that you can serve any time of year that’s filling and delicious. Serve these over mashed potatoes with your favorite and enjoy this delicious and comforting classic!

Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 45 mins
Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

Swedish Meatballs are a delicious, comforting, and classic recipe where tender and perfectly seasoned meatballs are cooked in a savory gravy. This dish is a great example of how to make amazing food by using simple ingredients with good techniques that give you the most amazing results.  If you search for Swedish Meatball recipes, you'll find that most of them recommend combining ground beef and pork, but to save on time and effort, I’ve opted for a store bought meatloaf mix.  Not only does this make your life just a little easier, I’ve also found that combining ground proteins together can often result in a mottled and inconsistent texture, no thanks!  These meatballs start off with sauteeing onions in some olive oil along with garlic to bring out their sweetness. I like this method because the onions get a richer flavor, but also you are releasing a lot of their liquid which can have a negative effect on your meatballs in the end.  Another step I’ve added is beating your egg before you combine it with your meatball mixture.  Beating your egg well before adding it to your meat mixture will give you a fluffier meatball since you’ll have a much more even egg distribution, plus this will help you avoid over mixing.  Before I saute my meatballs, I coat each meatball in flour.  Dredging the meatballs in flour helps in thickening your gravy during the final stages of cooking, but it also creates a crust on the exterior which means better flavor and texture.  Once your meatballs are a lovely golden brown on all sides, they’ll take a time out while you start your gravy.  To start your gravy, add your onions to your pan, but be sure to scrape up any brown bits because brown bits equal flavor.  Once your gravy comes together, the meatballs are ready to go back into the pan for their final cook.  I like to stir my meatball/gravy mixture occasionally to ensure that I’m getting my desired thickness of the gravy, but also to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.  After your meatballs are done, you can serve them over mashed potatoes with your favorite vegetable for a classic and comforting meal.  Speaking of classic but not so comforting, did you know about that time we bought a toilet at one of those gigantic furniture stores that makes you assemble everything yourself?  We were doing some shopping for a bathroom remodel and decided to start in the clearance section of the furniture store when we spotted the most sleek and elegant toilet.  It was blue and yellow and its label boasted that it would read to you while you used the bathroom.  A reading toilet was sure to be a great conversation starter for any party we could ever throw so how could we say no?  The low low price of only 23 dollars should have been our first indication that something wasn’t right, but we decided to take a chance anyways.  We got home with our toilet and began to assemble it. I'd never experienced a toilet you had to assemble yourself before, but there’s a first time for everything, right?  After a couple hours of laying out all of the parts, we finally assembled our masterpiece. At last, it was time to hook everything up to the plumbing (again, hindsight is 20/20).  We carefully hooked up the toilet to the water supply line, used a wrench to ensure a secure fit, and proudly turned the water back on. In almost no time we were blasted with a 5 foot geyser right where the toilet should have been standing!  All of the snaps to put the toilet together had immediately failed and we were met with a deluge of plastic toilet pieces and water.  As fast as I could, I made my way back to turn off the water supply and our bathroom geyser had quickly come to a halt.  We gathered up the pieces to our failed toilet and immediately took them back to the store.  Shortly after we received our refund, we were starting to feel hungry from our DIY calamity.  With no energy left to make a decent dinner, we spotted a grocery section of the furniture store that was selling all sorts of delicious foods.  That night we dined on a dinner of frozen Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes where I got my inspiration to make my own version of this delicious food.

Ingredients

Meatballs

Gravy

Instructions

  1. Start by sauteeing your onions.  Preheat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a sautee pan (I usually use the one I cook my meatballs in to save dishes).  Add your onions and saute about 5-7 minutes until translucent.  Add your garlic and cook until fragrant.  Set aside to cool completely. 

  1. After your onions cool, combine all of your remaining meatball ingredients together and mix well.  Let your mixture sit for about 5-10 minutes to allow your bread crumbs to absorb any moisture, add more if necessary. 

  1. Scoop your meatballs into 1 - 1 1/2 inch portions.  Place your flour on a dish and roll each meatball in your flour covering completely.  

  1. Preheat 3 teaspoons of olive oil in a shallow dutch oven (or similar pan).  Add your meatballs, working in batches if necessary.  Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 1-2 min per side.  Set aside

    Don't crowd your pan! Giving your meatballs space will allow them to brown and get a good crust on the exterior. It may take longer but work in batches if necessary.
  1. Once your meatballs are done, it's time to work on your gravy.  Add your sliced onion to your pan and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  After your onions are softened, add your garlic and dried thyme, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

    Be sure to scrap up any brown bits once the onion starts to release their liquid!
  1. Whisk in your remaining gravy ingredients being sure to combine well.  Bring to a simmer and add your meatballs back to your pan.  Cook until meatballs are fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees and your gravy is thickened, about 7-10 minutes.  Serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles and enjoy!

Keywords: Swedish Meatballs
Did you make this recipe?

Hi, I'm Nikki from Tall Tales from the Kitchen!  I'm here to help you make dinner time easier and more delicious.  I'm a busy mom of two boys, and I know the struggles of weekly meal planning, and getting a healthy meal on the table all while juggling daily life.  I'm here to provide you practical weeknight meal ideas with a dash of silliness.  Thanks for browsing and I hope you enjoy!  

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