Swedish Meatballs are typically a bit smaller than a larger Italian Meatball but I am lazy Bigger meatballs mean less rolling. They are also usually a blend of 50/50 pork and beef. I do all beef because we are cattle producers after all. 😉
Mushroom Sauce
In the winter I like to make traditional Swedish Meatballs with heavy Cream. Any other time though, I like this quick version. It tastes just as good but you cheat by building the sauce from Campbell's Mushroom soup. I know your inner 90's child is so jazzed about this whole situation right now. Swedish Meatballs are so versatile, they can be served with or over virtually any carb/starch. My favourite is Mashed Potatoes, you can find my Perfect Mashed Potatoes recipe here.
Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs are different from others in that they are seasoned with allspice and nutmed. I really don't love all spice in mine so I just add a bit of nutmeg. Meatballs are a labour of love. I have to really be in the mood to make the lil buggers but I find using a cookie scoop helps to make sure I am getting even sized balls. These are the ones I have from Amazon. You can cook meatballs in a pan, or in the oven. The big benefit to doing it in the pan is that you can brown up every side which builds more flavour. 9 times outta 10 I cook my meatballs in the oven and turn them half way. This yields a similar result with about 1/10th the effort. #Winning.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Mushroom Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- 1 Cup Mushrooms Sliced
- 1 Onion Diced
- 1 Cup Beef Broth
- 2 Cans Campbell's Condensed Mushroom Soup
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- Freshly Cracked Black Peppercorns to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl combine thawed ground beef with the eggs, breadcrumbs and seasonings. Mix this well you want that flavour in every bite 🙂
- Divide the meatballs into equal sized balls. I make about 24 2" balls.
- If Baking: Place Meatballs on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or tinfoil. Bake in a preheated 400° Oven for 20mins flipping half way through. Stovetop: Brown over med high heat in a large frying pan.
Sauce
- In a large frying pan saute the mushrooms and onion in the canola oil until tender.
- Add broth and soup. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Add Seasonings
All together now
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and continue to cook until meatballs register 160°F on a thermometer. In Canada we eat our ground beef well done 😋
Nutrition
10 Fast Facts about Sweden (beyond the fact that they have these great Swedish Meatballs named after them) check out the other 45 facts from BRB Gone Somewhere Epic
#1. 63% of Sweden is forest
Huge swathes of Sweden is gorgeous green space with two thirds of the country’s land area being covered by forest, thanks to the country being one of the largest countries in Europe with a small population, 85% of which live in urban areas, making it one of the greenest countries in the world. The Scandinavian country also boasts over 90,000 lakes and more than 3,000 kilometres of coastline.
#2. One of the cleanest countries on the planet
Environmental consciousness runs deep in Swedish culture and in Nordic countries in general, which is why Scandinavia comprises some of the most clean and progressive countries in the world. The citizens are heavily reliant o public transportation and recycling and there’s an excellent availability of organic (ecological) foods.
#3. The 5th largest country in Europe
With a total land area of 450,295km2 (173,860 square miles), Sweden is the fifth largest country in terms of land area in Europe, despite having one of the lowest populations per square kilometre on the continent.
#4. Birthplace of many global companies and iconic brands
A number of prominent design, manufacturing and tech companies were founded in Sweden, including IKEA, Ericsson, H&M, Volvo, Saab, Scania trucks and Electrolux, to name a few.
#5. Swedish art in the Stockholm metro stations
The Swedish capital has arguably the world’s coolest public transport systems. Walking into a Stockholm metro station is said to be entering the “world’s longest art exhibition”, which is over 68 miles (110km) long. Around 90% of the stations have been decorated by over 150 artists in different themes and in various forms, including mosaics, paintings, graffiti, installations, sculptures, and so on.
