Swedish Meatball Recipe

Old fashioned Swedish Meatball Recipe contains ground beef, onion and spice, smothered in a sauce to serve frugal meals to your family and guests.

Traditionally, these tasty meatballs were cooked in a brown gravy sauce and served with buttered noodles.

Back in the day, they were shaped into patties instead of balls, and served over mashed potatoes.

Any way you choose to shape them, they are delicious served over noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Or serve on a platter, with no sauce for an excellent appetizer.

They also make great sliders that are a popular dish now served a parties.

Swedish Meatball Recipe

• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
  
  
• 1/3 cup milk
  
  
• 3 slices bread
  
  
• 1 egg
  
  
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
  
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
  
  

Pour milk in a large mixing bowl.

Cut bread into small pieces and add to milk.

Add egg, onion, salt, and ginger and mix well.

Add meat, mix well and shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

Makes about 25.

Start cooking by placing them in a cold skillet* so you will not have to add additional fat to the pan.

Place skillet on low heat and cook until done and lightly browned.

Test if done by cutting into a ball to check if the pinkness has disappeared.

If it has, they are done.

Remove from the pan and prepare the gravy.

Brown Gravy Recipe

• 2 tablespoons drippings
  
  
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  
  
• 3 cups cold water
  
  
• 1 cup cold milk
  
  
• 1 can (6 oz.) mushroom pieces, with juices
  
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  

Stir flour into pan drippings on low heat until lightly browned.

Add water and stir until it comes to a boil.

Stir in milk.

Add other ingredients, bring to a boil again and keep stirring until it starts to thicken.

Return meatballs to pan and cook until all is heated and thickened to the way you like gravy.

Serve hot.

*An electric skillet is perfect for cooking this dish. Cook on low temperature.

Ground Beef And Pork
Swedish Meatball Recipe

• 1/3 cup butter (more as needed)
  
  
• 1 1/2 lb. ground chuck beef
  
  
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
  
  

• 3/4 cups dry bread crumbs
  
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  
  

• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
  
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  

• 3/4 light cream
  
  

• 3/4 cup water

In a large bowl mix together chuck beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, unions, eggs and salt. 

Stir in light cream and water. Mix well. 

Shape mixture into round 3/4 inch meatballs. 

Place meatballs on a large dinner plate or platter. 

Heat butter in skillet.

Brown a few meatballs at a time in a skillet and keep turning them until they are lightly browned and test done.  

As you cook the meatballs, place them in a bowl or on a platter.

When all meatballs have been cooked set them aside.

Make Sauce in skillet, then add meatballs back in and cook all together until piping hot.

Takes about 5-7 minutes.

Ground Beef And Pork
Swedish Meatball Sauce

• 2 tablespoons pan drippings
  
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  

• 1 1/2 cup water
  
  

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire  Sauce
  
  

Add 2 tablespoons drippings back in skillet.

Add all-purpose flour and salt and stir until smooth.  

Gradually stir in cream and the 1 1/2 cups water.

Bring to a boil on medium heat while stirring.

Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, blending well.

Add the set aside meatballs back in the skillet and cook a few minutes until meatballs are very hot.

Swedish Meatball Recipe
Menu Suggestions

The following Salads Recipes pair well with the Swedish Meatballs:

Add one of our homemade Pies, Cobblers or Puddings and you have a meal to remember!

Pea Salad

Pork And Bean SaRed 

Seven Layer Salad

Three Bean Salad

Swedish Meatball Recipe
Serving Tips

The Meatballs can be served separate from the gravy, noodles or rice and placed in another dish.

This Swedish Meatball Recipe makes an excellent Finger Food made without gravy and noodles, served warm from a chafing dish.

Serve meatballs on a toothpick from a serving tray at party.

Swedish Meatball History

It is not known when the Swedish Meatball Recipe was invented. 

Nor is it known who invented it or in what country the inventor lived.

We do know through historical records that Scandinavian immigrants introduced the dish to Americans.

The Swedish Meatball Recipe was very popular in America in the early 1900s. 

Obviously, interest waned because it became very popular again in the 1950s and 1960s.

It is popular today because it is economical to make, quick and easy to make in addition to being delicious.

The Swedish Meatball Recipe is still popular in Scandinavia according to my home economics teacher's cook book, foreign addition. 

The six Swedish Meatball Recipes in that cookbook are similar to the ones posted on this website.

Related Pages

Beef Burgundy Recipe

Beef Stroganoff Recipe

Italian Spaghetti

Return to Ground Beef Recipes


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