Dec 19 2017

Swedish Meatballs

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These Swedish meatballs are soft, tender, and deliciously seasoned with a hint of allspice smothered in a rich and decadent beef gravy!

This post is being sponsored by Nordic Ware® featuring their 3 QT Dutch Oven and the “Jul” cookbook. All opinions of these ABSOLUTELY AMAZING products are mine.

Swedish meatballs were something Mom seemed to ALWAYS make when she didn’t know what else to make for dinner in the winter. They were inexpensive, you could feed a huge family fairly inexpensive and they were so filling that you didn’t have to worry about starving later that night. Now full disclosure, I didn’t like Moms. Now don’t get me wrong as I have her recipe and absolutely love them now but when I was little, my tastes were very, VERY immature. If I could have lived on mashed potatoes, corn, butter bread and dippy eggs I would have. I was a ridiculously picky eater. If I even saw the teensiest trace of an onion I was convinced the dish was poisoned and if I ate it horrible things would happen to my body.

However, one thing my parents didn’t do was cater to us. If we didn’t like what we were served, we either ate it or we went to bed hungry. And you can be certain there was no dessert involved if you didn’t eat your dinner. And let me tell you what folks, you would have eaten a whole raw onion for a slice of my Mom’s blackout cake! HEAVEN! But Mom’s Swedish meatballs recipe I covet and yes I put onions in it like she did. I’ve actually grown to appreciate and dare I say, love them, in foods. Now I won’t go so far to say I’ll eat a raw one but if they are cooked I’m your girl!

This recipe for Swedish Meatballs comes from the cookbook Jul by Patrice Johnson. Patrice Johnson is a Nordic food geek and meatball historian. She writes food and culture posts for a variety of web and print publications as well as the weekly column “Called to the Table” for the Gaylord Hub (Sibley County, Minnesota). She teaches Nordic food classes and presents interactive cooking demonstrations at sites throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. You can follow her on Twitter – @NordicFoodGeek

Now before I rave on about Patrice, let’s dish about this 3 QT Dutch Oven from Nordic Ware! OMG it’s INCREDIBLE! First, it’s light-weight so no longer does it feel like you’re lugging a 50 pound rock around when using a dutch oven. Second, it’s GORGEOUS! OMG the cranberry color is gorgeous! And with it being Christmas time, this is a must-have in every kitchen! This 3-quart enameled cast aluminum multipurpose pot is a great everyday pot. With it being made out of cast aluminum you get even temperature, controlled cooking, and lightweight. And what I truly love about it is that its non-stick coating makes for easy cleanup and eliminates the need to season the pan before you use it! That’s a huge bonus for me!

When Nordic Ware asked me to go through this cookbook and pick out anything I wanted to make I immediately went to Swedish meatballs. I mean ‘hello’ it is a Swedish-American holiday cookbook! Now in this cookbook, there actually are several submitted recipes for Swedish meatballs. After careful review, I gravitated to this one. What I liked about it was the simplicity of it plus it used a few different ingredients than Mom’s recipe did. This one used cardamom – something Mom just never had. Heck, I didn’t have that spice in my pantry until maybe 15 years ago. Another thing was allspice. Mom used cloves and nutmeg with just a ‘kiss’ of cinnamon. And Mom’s onions were I swear the size of boulders lol where this one the onions are diced up super small – WIN!

Now in the original recipe, Patrice mentioned using a large skillet to brown the meatballs as well as a buttered casserole dish to bake them in. You know me guys, I’m all for one-pot simplicity. And that’s where this 3 QT Dutch Oven comes into play! When they first sent it to me I was worried because I have another brand of dutch ovens like this that weigh a million pounds. But this one, OMG it’s light-weight but super sturdy! So into the pot, I added the butter and fried up the meatballs. They fried up beautifully and then when I made the beef gravy it came together so thick and creamy. Now, remember this is coated with a non-stick coating so you cannot whisk or use metal utensils in it. I have a rubber coated whisk that is made specifically for non-stick pans. DEFINITELY, use that!

So back to Patrice and her cookbook! Patrice partnered up with the Minnesota Historical Society published this wonderful cookbook. Nordic Ware® partnered up with the Minnesota Historical Society to help share their state’s stories while connecting people with history in meaningful ways. The Minnesota Historical Society, play an important role in their state’s historic preservation, education, and tourism; and provide the public with award-winning programs, exhibitions and events. Nordic Ware has been a major part of Minnesota’s heritage and history since 1946!

In looking through her book, Jul, it tells beautiful stories of smörgåsbord and St. Lucia processions to Christmas Eve gatherings with dear family and friends, Swedish Americans are linked through the generations by a legacy of meatballs and lutfisk. Christmas traditions, particularly those involving food, often honor our ancestors. Throughout the Midwest where Swedish immigrants settled, the dishes placed on the julbord (Christmas table) tell stories about who we are, where we come from, and where we are heading.

In exploring these holiday customs, Patrice Johnson begins with her own family’s Christmas Eve gathering, which involves a combination of culinary traditions: allspice-scented meatballs, Norwegian lefse served Swedish style (warm with butter), and the American interloper, macaroni and cheese. Just as she tracks down the meanings behind why her family celebrates as it does, she reaches into the lives and histories of other Swedish Americans with their own stories, their own versions of traditional recipes, their own joys of the season. The result is a fascinating exploration of the Swedish holiday calendar and its American translation.

Featured dishes include yellow pea soup (ärtsoppa) and Swedish pancakes (Svenska plättar); assorted Swedish cookies like pepparkakor, rosettes, and meringues; meatballs with pickled cucumber; the julhög, a breakfast pyramid of bread, cheese, fruit, and cookies; and so much more. Come, raise a glass of punsch, hear tell of holidays past, snack on cardamom bread, and celebrate jul the midwestern way.

This is definitely a must-get for your favorite Foodie for the holidays! It’s so unique and has some really incredible recipes that I’m anxious to try! This recipe is so simple to make, to be honest. What I love is the addition of milk with the breadcrumbs. In any Italian meatball “milk bread” is a must-have! That’s the key to super tender, super moist meatballs. And with these meatballs, they are so incredibly tender that it mimics those that Nonna would make with her Sunday gravy.

I’ve had some meatballs in my life where you need a fork AND knife to eat them. But not with these. OMG no way! They pretty much fall apart just by looking at them! And that beef gravy. OMG it’s NOTHING like what Mama made. This was so savory and had such a deep beef flavor. This all comes from that wonderous can of beef consommé. A consommé is a broth or stock that has been clarified and concentrated, making for a strong flavored and perfectly clear soup. The word consommé is a French word that means “perfect” or “to make perfect and complete.” It’s such an intense flavor that you really can’t consume it on its own. It’s simply too strong.

Now I would say the only thing I would change about this recipe is that for me, I would actually double the gravy/sauce recipe. I prefer a lot of sauce when I eat this with egg noodles. Plus guys that sauce is the bomb dot com! The taste, it’s true and authentic. I loved the addition of the cardamom though the jury is still out on the allspice. But then I’m not an allspice fan to be honest. As for the taste, Mr. Fantabulous was pleasantly pleased with it. He said “well these don’t taste like my cafeteria’s Swedish meatballs I had in high school.” I asked if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He said “Oh good, theirs were wretched. These are really good! And wow, they are so tender like your sauce meatballs!”

For those that aren’t Italian, “Sauce Meatballs” are the meatballs you serve alongside of Sunday gravy. Meatballs are never, EVER to be mixed in with or put a top spaghetti; they are always on the side.

So if you’re looking for a great winter comfort food, definitely make these. That sauce/gravy is killer and these meatballs are so flavorful you will not be disappointed!