Swedish Meatballs

These are the MOST DELICIOUS Swedish meatballs you will ever have in your life swimming in a rich creamy gravy sauce. They’re filled with cheeses, onion, and lots of fresh herbs. Serve them with pasta and you’ll be on cloud nine.

Equipment

• large pan

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 3/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
• 4 oz cream cheese room temp
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp thyme fresh, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped

For the Sauce

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp thyme fresh, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Prep your ingredients: Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, thyme and parsley, shred the cheese and make sure the cream cheese is softened.
• Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and mix thoroughly using your clean hands. Make sure the cream cheese is completely room temperature or it will not mix in properly.
• Form the meat into balls between 1.5 and two inches in diameter. Wetting your hands occasionally will make make rolling them less messy. It’s easiest to transfer the rolled meatballs to a baking sheet as a staging area while you finish the prep.
• Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-low with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meatballs and  cook until golden brown turning as needed for an even browning. Remove cooked meatballs from pan and transfer to a clean bowl while you prepare the sauce in the same pan.

For the Sauce

• Melt two tablespoons of butter on the skillet you cooked the meatballs on. Add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk in, cooking until golden.
• Add 1/2 cup of cream, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of water. Whisk to mix well.
• Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the paprika, thyme, parsley and stir in. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened.
• Once sauce has thickened add the meatballs back into the pan and cook on medium lot for about 20 minutes turning occasionally so they’re fully coated.
• Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy.

Notes

• Don’t skimp on the oil when you’re browning the meatballs. The fat really helps give an even golden surface and creates a WONDERFUL base for the sauce.
• Fresh thyme, lots or parsley and a sharp cheddar are all musts for these meatballs. 
• Go for a finer chop on the onion, it will cook faster and give you a tastier result. 
• You can’t go wrong doubling the sauce. The meatballs will really absorb a lot of the liquid and everyone likes a bit of extra sauce on their pasta.

From: The Preppy Kitchen