swedish meatballs

whenever i make marinara & meatballs, i almost always make turkey meatballs. not only because it's a healthier option, but really, it's more delicious! if you don't believe me, please try it for yourself. your friends and family might not even notice that it's turkey. it's that good.

so when i decided to make swedish meatballs, i of course used turkey. you can sub the turkey for meat or pork or a combo of both in this recipe but i highly suggest you use turkey!

mise en place - meatballs

swedish meatballs
makes about 25-30 meatballs
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or meat, pork, or combo of both)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

in a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. set aside.

in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable (or other flavorless) oil and sautée the onions w/ a pinch of salt. when the onions just start to turn soft, add the garlic and continue to sautée untill everything is soft and transparent. remove from heat and let cool slightly.

in a large bowl, combine all ingredients - turkey, breadcrumb/milk mixture, egg, sauteed onions & garlic, salt & pepper. using your hands, mix all the ingredients until well combined but do not over mix. try to handle the meat as little as possible. form the mixture into 1 oz. sized balls. you should end up w/ about 25-30 meatballs.

in the same skillet that you sauteed the onions, heat 1 tablespoon butter w/ 1 tablespoon oil, over medium heat. cook the meatballs until nice and brown on all sides and cooked thru.

transfer the meatballs to a platter and cover to keep warm. now prepare the sauce.

mise en place - sauce

the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

in the same skillet where you cooked the meatballs, sautée the onions & garlic until just about soft and transparent, adding a little more oil if needed. push the onions to the side of the pan, creating a well in the middle. add the 2 tablespoons of butter. when melted add the flour and whisk together. whisk and cook until the flour turns brown. about 2-3 mins. it's ok to mix it all up w/ the onions. add in the beef broth slowly, constantly mixing to ensure the flour does not leave clumps. add the cream, mix and bring the sauce to a simmer until a desired consistency is reached. the longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce will get. taste of seasoning and add salt & pepper as needed.

add the meatballs back in, heat thru if needed and you're ready to serve.

serve w/ egg noodles, alone, or w/ rice!

bon appétit~!