Sweedish Meatballs
I came across a recipe from damndelicious.net and tried their Swedish Meatball recipe, and LOVED it! In fact, our family loved it so much, that two times I failed at snapping a photo fast enough. I blame my husband entirely. I couldn't contain himself to digging in, but I guess I can't blame him ;). This is recipe has so much flavor and comes together easily, you'll see why it is so hard to resist!
By making the meat mixture in advance and allowing the mixture to sit, the softened breadcrumbs held the meatball together better during the cooking process.
I made just a few adjustments to suit my own liking, however the original is pretty fantastic. You can find their recipe here: http://damndelicious.net/2014/02/21/swedish-meatballs/
My version has a turkey and sausage meatball. I like the texture and softness of the turkey and the sausage adds a nice flavor, without being overpowering.
To compensate for the softer meat, I increased the Panko breadcrumbs to 1-Cup.
Instead of using beef broth, I take 2-Beef bullion cubes, crush them with a tenderizer until powdery, and mix into 1-C of hot water. Using a more concentrated broth makes a richer sauce that pairs really well with the butter and mushrooms in the sauce.
I also add a 1/4 cup sliced baby Portabella Mushrooms to the sauce.
Here is my version adapted from Damn Delicious:
Ingredients:
Meatball
2-Tablespoons Olive Oil
1-Diced Onion (I usually use a white or Vidalia chopped very fine)
1-pound Ground Turkey
1-pound Sausage
1-Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
2-Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
Mix Ingredients and allow to chill for at least an hour.
Tip: A small cookie scoop works great to make the perfect size (about an inch), and your hands stay clean!
In a large skillet, add olive oil and meatballs and cook on moderate heat (3-4), covered for approximately
20 minutes. Turn a few times, to cook through.
The last 5-10 minutes, Remove lid and allow the meatballs to brown a bit.
When cooked, remove meatballs and set aside to work on Gravy.
Sauce:
1/4 Cup sliced Portabella Mushrooms
1/4 Cup Butter
2 Cups water
2 Beef Bullion Cubes, crushed
3/4 Cup Sour Cream
Add the butter to the pan and mushrooms. Cover and cook until mushrooms are tender.
Add beef broth, and scrape up any meat bits and drippings from the meatballs.
Add Sour cream and reduce heat to allow sauce to thicken up.
These meatballs are wonderful over egg noodles or even mashed potatoes. The last time we enjoyed Swedish Meatballs for dinner, I added a side of Roasted Carrots. If you'd like to try the recipe I used from Damn Delicious, the link is here :
http://damndelicious.net/2015/01/17/garlic-roasted-carrots/
Stay tuned, I'll be adding a Meat Ball Sub inspired from this recipe soon!