True Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Kottbullar) - Nikki *

This has always been a Christmas staple in my family since I can remember.  Growing up in a VERY Scandinavian family celebrating Christmas dinner with pickled herring, lefse, fruit soup, potatoes in white sauce and even lutefisk (it smells awful!).  Our favorite, hands down, were the Swedish meatballs.  

Yields:  5 Dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2.5 pounds meat loaf mixture, ground beef, pork, and veal
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (GF: use GF bread, toast and put in blender or processor for crumbs)
• 3 Eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup Flour (GF: Bob's Red Mill 1:1)
• 2 cans beef broth, 10.5oz
• 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions:

In small skillet, cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter until soft.

In large bowl, combine onion with next 10 ingredients. (Mixture is very soft). Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls; arrange on jelly-roll pan lightly sprayed with vegetable cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven until cooked through and lightly browned (14-16 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet; stir in flour. Gradually whisk in beef broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in whipping cream and 1/2 teaspoon dill weed; simmer 5 minutes. (Have gravy finished when meatballs come out of oven.)

Scrape meatballs and browned bits into gravy; stir to combine. Spoon into 3-quart casserole. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.


Reheat in a preheated 325 F oven until heated through (40-50 minutes).

Notes:  

You could brown them on the stove too but it is messy, in the oven is so much easier. 

I either serve them in the baking dish or you could even put them in a crock pot on low for 4 hours before serving or in a chafing dish.  But make sure they are baked first in the sauce and then added to the chaffing dish to keep warm.

Source:  Me adapted from Byerlys