Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Kottbullar)

Hej everyone!

I wanted to kick off our exploration into Swedish cuisine with a dish that we are all familiar with. One that is a favorite and often had in our household growing up. Swedish meatballs! As I’m sure you already know these little things are ADDICTING and really easy to make. There is a variation between old and new when it comes to sides and what they’re served on top of. Swedish American’s have adopted serving them over egg-yolk noodles (which is how I usually have them), but traditionally they’re served on top of mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry preserves.

Lingonberry is a staple in Swedish cuisine. Lingonberries are equivalent to how we find wild blackberries here in northern North America. They grow abundantly on short bushes through Scandinavia and northern North American forests. In it’s raw state, it is bitter (very similar to a cranberry which it is distantly related to), only when transformed by sugar to a jam or syrup is it delicious and worth pairing.

Swedish meatballs date back to the early 18th century and may not be as Swedish as you may think. They seem to be based off a recipe that King Charles XII brought home after living abroad in Turkey for several years. As that may be true, many Swede’s have adopted this dish to be the national dish of their country, and with them being so good, we can see why!

Located below are some more pictures and the recipe to my Swedish Meatballs! Njut av! (Enjoy!)

Swedish Meatballs

Total Time - 1 hour 15 minutes; 45min. Prep / 30min. Cook; Yields - 30 meatballs

Ingredients

2 slices fresh white bread
1/3 cup whole milk
1 small sweet onion finely chopped
3/4 lb ground beef
3/4 lb ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbs butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Garnish with Parsley
Side Lingonberry Jam
Side Mashed Potatoes

Instructions

1. Tear slices of bread into small pieces and cover in milk and set aside.

2. In a small sauté pan, melt 1 tbs of butter and add onion over medium heat. Cook onions until soft  (3-4 minutes) and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine bread & milk mixture, pork, beef, onions, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, salt. Mix by hand for 5 minutes. Let mixture sit in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. (I recommend letting them sit the full 24 hours, but 2 is the minimum as per my grandmothers recipe)

4. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Fahrenheit (to keep meatballs warm while you make gravy)

5. Using a scale or scoop - create 1 ounce meatballs and and place on sheet pan. Use your hands to shape them round.

6. Heat 2 tbs butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the meatballs and sauté until golden brown on all sides (8-10 minutes each). Remove meatballs from sauté pan to an ovenproof dish and place in oven.

7. Once all meatballs are cooked, decrease heat to low and add flour to the skillet. Whisk until lightly browned. Slowly add beef stock and whisk until gravy begins to thicken. Add cream and whisk gravy until it reaches desired consistency. Remove meatballs from the oven, cover with gravy and serve alongside lingonberry jam and mashed potatoes.