No, it’s not just a stereotype that the Swedes love their meatballs. It’s the truth. And for good reason: they’re delicious! You can find variations of the Swedish meatball all around the country, traditionally served with mashed or baked potatoes, a creamy sauce, and always (I repeat, always) served with lingonberries. While the Swedes have the claim to fame for their meatballs, they are actually popular all over Scandinavia. The difference? Swedes tend to prefer to make theirs with pork and beef, the Danes prefer pork and veal, and the Norwegians tend to make theirs with beef. If you’re on the more adventurous side, I recommend trying the relatively common moose or reindeer meatballs. Delicious!  

Servings: 6  

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork

¼ cup plain bread crumbs

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ cup shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:

5 tablespoons butter, divided

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups beef broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

*1 cup lingonberries (served with the meatballs)

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, parsley, nutmeg, allspice, shallots, garlic, pepper, salt, and egg.

Using your hands, form 20 small meatballs. Arrange on a plate and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter

Add the meatballs and cook, turning continuously, until brown on each side and cooked through. Do not overcrowd the pan, and cook the meatballs in batches if necessary. Move to a plate and cover with foil.

To make the sauce, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, along with the flour, to the same skillet you cooked the meatballs in. Whisk vigorously until the roux turns brown and is well combined – not clumpy.

Stir in the beef broth and heavy cream. Allow to simmer for one minute.

Mix in the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer until the sauce starts to thicken (approximately 3-4 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes until the meatballs are hot again.

Serve mixture with boiled potatoes, baked potatoes, or mashed potatoes. And of course – lingonberries!