Main Dishes

Swedish Meatballs

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Avg. rating 5 from 2 votes.

Recipe Information

Recipe Created By: Kathy Przywara

Ingredients

3/4 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1/4 lb ground veal

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

1 cup light cream, milk, or beef stock

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 Tbsp margarine

1 egg or equivalent egg replacer (optional)

1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ginger

dash pepper and nutmeg

2 Tbsp margarine

2 Tbsp flour or potato starch

1 cup beef stock

1/2 tsp instant coffee

Directions

Soak bread crumbs in cream/milk/stock for 5 minutes, less for rice bread.

Saute onion in the tablespoon of margarine until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix meats, crumb mixture, onion, egg or replacer if using, parsley, and seasonings. Beat with electric mixer for about 5 minutes. The mixture will be soft. For easier shaping, chill meat mixture 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Using wet hands, shape into desired sized meatballs. They are best kept pretty small – maybe the size of a walnut.

In large skillet, melt 1 tbsp of the remaining margarine over medium to medium high heat. Brown meatballs a few at a time moving them around to keep them round. Remove to an ovenproof baking dish. Add more of the margarine if necessary.

Make gravy by melting any of the remaining margarine. Lower heat to medium and stir flour/starch into drippings. Add broth slowly, whisking to avoid lumps. Add coffee. Heat until gravy thickens. Pour gravy over meatballs and bake for 30 to 45 minutes basting occasionally.

Alternately, this can all be done in an electric skillet or on the stove top by returning the meatballs to the gravy and cooking over low heat.

Notes

These are great served with hot buttered noodles or mashed potatoes. They freeze great.

Copyright © 2002 Kathy Przywara. All rights reserved. The copyright of this recipe is retained by the original recipe creator. If you would like to publish this recipe elsewhere in print or online, please contact us to find out how to obtain permission.

Substitutions

To avoid egg, omit or replace egg; select egg-free bread.

To avoid milk, select milk-free margarine and bread. Use beef stock to soak bread.

To avoid wheat and gluten, select wheat and gluten free bread. 3 Slices Of Ener-G Gluten-Free Rice Bread works. Use potato starch rather than wheat flour for gravy.

Meats may be substituted for each other due to availability and kosher needs. You can use any combination or even a single meat just so the total amount is 1 1/2 lbs.

If you don’t have instant coffee, a small amount of very strong coffee can be used. I use one of those “coffee bags” (like a tea bag with coffee) and just put it in the hot gravy for a couple of minutes.

Butter and Margarine: Butter is a dairy product made from cow’s milk. Margarine typically contains milk or soy, but there are milk-free and soy-free versions available.

Corn Substitutions: Corn is a common ingredient in products. Starch, modified food starch, dextrin and maltodextrin can be from corn. Consult with your physician to find out which corn derivatives you need to avoid. Many corn-free options are available in the US. Find out more about corn substitutions.

Egg Substitutions: There are many egg-free products and foods available to make your recipes free of eggs. Find out more about egg substitutions.

Gluten: Gluten is a protein found in specific grains (wheat, spelt, kamut, barley, rye). Other grains are naturally gluten-free but may have cross-contact with gluten-containing grains. Look for certified gluten-free products if you need to avoid gluten. Find out more about wheat and gluten substitutions.

Milk and Soy Substitutions: Alternative dairy-free milk beverages and products will work in most recipes. Find out more about milk substitutions and soy substitutions.