MarKEA Swedish Meatballs
Serving dish made by Amanda Wright Pottery and purchased at The Store at CIA Copia.
A lot of people experience Swedish Meatballs from their detours at IKEA, but my memories of this dish date back to childhood when this was my favorite Stouffer’s frozen dinner. I was craving something comforting and nostalgic, and this hit the spot. You could eat this with potatoes, rice, or by itself, but you know I can’t resist slurping up some pasta.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Meatballs
1 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2/3 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)
1 pound Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Pork
Extra virgin olive oil
Gravy:
1/3 cup of unsalted butter
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
Kosher salt & pepper
1 pound fettuccine (or egg noodles)
Steps:
In a bowl, throw in the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, spice, onions, and parsley. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add in the meats and mix well. Roll 2 oz balls (about 1/4 cup) onto a baking sheet, and let the meatballs chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
Heat EVOO in a pan on medium-high heat. Fry meatballs in batches, so they fry properly and don’t steam. Transfer to a warm plate and tent with foil.
To make the sauce, add the butter to the pan juices in the pan to melt. Whisk in the flour until it dissolves and turns to a light brown color (this is a roux). Pour in the broth, cream, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon. Bring to a to simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the sauce until thickened. Toss in the meatballs while you cook your pasta.
In a large pot of salted water, cook your fettuccine or egg noodles until al dente. Drain (reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water), and toss together with the sauce and meatballs. Optional: use the reserved pasta water to thin sauce to your liking.
Sprinkle some parsley or chives over the top to garnish. This isn’t a time to be fancy, so it’s even okay to grab a fork and eat out of the pot! No judgement.
