GOLDEN TOAD'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Sometimes, certain meals just scream "Comfort Food". I believe that this is one of those dishes. My family loves a warm, savory, creamy, plate of Swedish Meatballs over Egg Noodles. If you are looking for a quick and easy dinner, your favorite frozen meatballs will do, but if you've got a few extra minutes, I highly recommend making them from scratch.

Rumor has it that the recipe for Swedish Meatballs was created by an in-house chef at IKEA in Switzerland in 1985. Hats off to that Chef for making my trips to IKEA tolerable. 

After you give my recipe a try, come back and leave me a note to let me know what you think. Let's get into these... 

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• ¾ # Lean Ground Beef
• ½ # Lean Ground Pork
• 1 Large Egg plus 1 Egg White, beaten
• 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
• ½ Cup Milk
• ⅓ Cup White Onion, minced
• 2 TBS Butter, unsalted
• 2 tsp Garlic, minced (I use Christopher Ranch, chopped in oil)
• 1 tsp Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• ½ tsp White Pepper, fine grind
• ¼ tsp Allspice, ground
• Vegetable Oil for brushing

• Or substitute 1-½# to 2# of your favorite frozen Meatballs (½ oz each)
• note - When I use frozen meatballs, I heat them in 1 TBS EV Olive Oil and 1 TBS unsalted Butter.
• Gravy
• 4 TBS Butter, unsalted
• 3 TBS Flour
• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 2 Cups Hot Water
• 1 TBS Beef Base (Better than Bouillon)
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub
• 1 tsp Black Pepper, table grind
• For Serving
• 1 # Extra Wide Egg Noodles
• Parsley, chopped, for garnish

 Preparation

• For Fresh Meatballs
• Heat the Butter in a skillet over medium heat.
• Add the Onion, Garlic, Allspice, Prime Steak Rub, and White Pepper and cook, stirring frequently until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the Milk and Worcestershire Sauce and bring to a simmer.
• Place breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and pour the mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste. Let cool.
• Add the Beef, Pork, Egg and Egg White to the bowl and mix until combined.
• Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

• Start a pot of boiling water for the noodles.

• For Frozen Meatballs
• Heat 1 TBS Olive Oil & 1 TBS Butter in a large Dutch oven.
• Add Meatballs and brown, stirring constantly until heated through.
• Remove Meatballs and set aside.
• For the Gravy
• Melt the Butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Whisk in the Flour and cook, whisking frequently, until you achieve a smooth White Roux.
• In a glass bowl or measuring cup, combine the Water and Beef Base for your broth. Heat in a microwave until hot.
• Slowly whisk the Beef Broth and Heavy Cream into your Roux.
• Add the Worcestershire Sauce, Dijon Mustard, Golden Toad Prime Steak Rub, and Black Pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Turn the heat to low, add the meatballs to the gravy, stir to coat well, and cover. These will cook and thicken while your noodles are cooking.

• Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 7-9 minutes. Strain and use immediately.
• Serve meatballs & gravy over noodles topped with parsley for garnish.

Enjoy!

Golden Toad