Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make Meatballs
- Heat a large skillet with a bit of oil or butter. Add all meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix with your hands very well. Shape into 1" meatballs.
- Add all of the meatballs to the hot skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Set the meatballs aside on a plate (they will not be cooked in the middle at this point, that's ok). Leave the drippings in the skillet.
Make Sauce
- Use the same skillet to make the gravy - add 4 T butter to the skillet on medium heat. When the butter is browned, whisk in the flour to make a roux. Let the roux bubble for a minute or two, being careful not to let it burn.
- Slowly begin pouring in the beef bone broth, whisking the whole time. Pour in the heavy cream, add salt & pepper, whisking while doing so.
- Return the meatballs to the sauce right away and let them finish cooking on medium-high heat while the sauce simmers and thickens - about 15-20 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, make the pasta and cook in a pot of boiling water al dente.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauce and meatballs, stir well. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the Swedish meatball pasta to set and thicken up for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Tips
- Use a mixture of meats: Traditional Swedish meatballs are made with a combination of ground beef and ground pork. This combination adds flavor and moisture to the meatballs. You can adjust the ratio according to your preference, but using both meats generally yields the best results.
- Don’t overmix the meat: When mixing the meatball ingredients, be careful not to overmix the meat mixture. Overmixing can result in tough meatballs. Mix until just combined, then shape into balls.
- Chill the meat mixture: After mixing the meatball ingredients, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Chilling helps the mixture firm up, making it easier to shape into balls and preventing the meatballs from falling apart during cooking.
- Use a cookie scoop: For evenly sized meatballs, consider using a cookie scoop to portion out the meat mixture before shaping into balls. This ensures that all the meatballs are the same size, which helps them cook evenly.
- Garnish with fresh herbs: Before serving, garnish the meatballs with chopped fresh parsley or dill for a pop of color and freshness.
- Double the batch: Swedish meatballs are great for meal prep and freeze well. Consider making a double batch and freezing some for next time. They make for quick and easy family dinners on busy weeknights.