[Swedish meatball] Homemade IKEA style meatballs

Swedish meatball was the very first Swedish food I tasted.

It was a whole new world to me to eat meatballs with (sort of) jam! It tasted so different.

But I guess meatballs with lingonberry jam would be a similar concept as eating turkey with cranberry sauce.

Indeed, lingonberry is mountain cranberry grown mostly in Nordic countries.

Anyway, I liked it immediately and I still do like it.

  

 Then, one day, I decided to make it in a healthier way.

IKEA meatballs are very tasty, but they are fried.

But, I baked my meatballs.

The result?

They are not as greasy as you may expect,

but, they are very yummy and you feel suddenly very good since you know that you just reduced more than a few hundred calories. :)

Here goes the Swedish meatball recipe:

Ingredients

Meatballs

1/2 pound ground lean beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1+1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon allspices

salt

pepper

1 small onion, chopped (optional)

Gravy

1/2 cup milk

salt

pepper

2 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons flour

1+1/2 cup beef broth

1 small onion, chopped

How to make

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line cooking foil on a baking sheet.

2. Mix ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and allspice, to an even batter.

3. Form small & round balls.

I use about 1 tablespoon of mix to form a ball.

4. Place round meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare gravy.

5. Melt butter in a medium-heated pan or skillet.

6. Whisk until browned, about 2 minutes.

7. Add the beef stock, onion, and then milk gradually, and whisk.

8. Simmer/Cook until the gravy thickens, and maintains the consistency.

9. Remove the meatballs from the oven.

10. Pour gravy over the meatballs, and serve with lingonberry jam and any type of potato.

Personally, Pablo and I like "baked" French fries while Mr.D and Remi prefer mashed potato.

They are all good. :)

These are very easy to make, but delicious at the same time!

Bon appétit!

Swedish Meatballs