Incredibly Delicious Swedish Meatballs
California Prunes give flavor and moisture to these delicately spiced Swedish Meatballs without adding extra fat. For a gluten-free version of these tasty Meatballs, recipe creator Alison Needham swaps in gluten-free sandwich bread & flour.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: yes, our Swedish meatballs are better than Ikea’s.
Now that that’s out of the way….Swedish Meatballs are a traditional Scandinavian dish. They’re typically smaller than their Italian counterparts and served in a creamy, gravy-like sauce. In Sweden, these meatballs are served with mashed potatoes and lignonberry jam.
Fun fact: The originally recipe for Swedish meatballs isn’t Swedish (gasp). According to Visit Sweden, the dish was “based on a recipe brought back from Turkey in the early 18th century by King Charles XII of Sweden. “
Why prunes work in this recipe
Why did we add prunes to our meatballs? California Prunes add moisture, color and depth of flavor to any recipe. The subtle sweetness of the prunes works beautifully with the tangy gravy-like sauce.
Incredibly Delicious Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 slice white sandwich bread
- 2 TBPS milk
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup California Prune purée
- 2 TBSP butter
- 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- Salt and white pepper
- 1 1/2 TBSP chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Tear bread into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Soak in milk with salt, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and pepper. While bread is soaking, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a sauté pan; add onion and sauté about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent; cool. In a large bowl, mix pork, beef, bread mixture, onion and Prune purée. Chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to form into balls.
- Heat oven to 350°F (180C). Divide meatball mixture into 20 portions. Moisten your fingers with water and gently roll mixture into balls. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake meatballs about 15 minutes or until cooked through.
- While meatballs are cooking, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a sauté pan. Add flour and whisk for about 2 minutes; add broth and sour cream and simmer, whisking constantly, until lightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Add dill, return meatballs to pan and bring to a simmer.
Notes
Nutrition
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