Quick Look at these Swedish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes
- Ready In: 1 hour
- Serves: 6
- Main Ingredients: ground beef, ground pork, bread, dairy-free creamer, beef broth, flour of choice, and spices.
- Dietary Info: Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free friendly
- Why This One? This is a surprisingly easy Swedish meatball recipe that has LOTS of that creamy gravy that everyone actually wants!
- Best For: a warm, cozy dinner on those chilly winter nights.
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Reasons to Make Swedish Meatballs Tonight
- Perfectly cozy comfort food that always hits the spot!
- One skillet meatballs that bake in the same skillet that is used for the sauce = easy clean-up. Plus, you will still have pan drippings for the gravy without cooking in batches and making a mess.
- Customize the gravy with a lighter, dairy-free creamer or go for a richer, more decadent gravy with half & half.
- Serve them up over creamy mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Ground Beef + Ground Pork – using this combination gives a greater depth of flavor and the perfect texture.
- Bread + Cream – soaking the bread in cream creates a panade, which adds moisture and helps keep the meatballs tender instead of dense or dry.
- Beef Broth – the base of the gravy and should be added very gradually while keeping the heat at a simmer. Use more broth for a thinner gravy or a little less broth for a thicker gravy.
- Sour Cream – gives the gravy a slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture.
How To Make Swedish Meatballs
Step 1 – Soak the bread in creamer for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2 – Smash and break apart the bread with a fork and add the remaining meatball ingredients.
Pro Tip – One Skillet!
Highly recommend baking the meatballs in the same skillet that you will be using to make the gravy sauce, because that means fewer dishes, less mess, no cooking in batches, and it’s easier to keep the pan juices for added flavor!
Step 3 – Form the meatball mixture into meatballs and place in an oven-safe skillet.
Step 4 – Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet with a slotted spoon.
Step 5 – Leave 1-2 tablespoons of grease in the pan. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
Step 6 – Slowly whisk in the broth and creamer to your desired consistency (it should coat the back of a spoon and cling to the meatballs).
Step 7 – Whisk in the sour cream and salt. Return the meatballs to the pan and toss to coat.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
– Lots of Creamy Gravy – baking the meatballs in the same skillet that also makes the gravy allows you to keep all those delicious browned bits for added flavor. The extra grease also means we were able to test the gravy with less butter for the gravy that has maximum flavor.
– Extra Broth – gradually whisk in the broth you need to reach your desired gravy consistency but keep some extra broth handy because it will thicken quickly and you may need to thin it out a little before serving.
Best Ways To Serve Swedish Meatballs
This cozy, comfort food is best enjoyed with:
- Mashed Potatoes – easily whip up some Instant Pot mashed potatoes, dairy-free mashed potatoes or extra creamy mashed potatoes.
- Egg Noodles – boil some extra wide egg noodles in a separate pot, drain, and enjoy the extra saucy meatballs on top.
- Mashed Cauliflower – add some veggies to the mix and enjoy over easy mashed cauliflower.
- Lingonberry Jam or Preserves – a touch of sweetness that is traditionally paired with Swedish meatballs.
Other Simple Meatball Recipes You Might Like
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Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 3 slices bread
- ⅓ cup unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer, sub half & half
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Gravy:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¾ cups beef broth, more, if needed to thin the gravy
- ⅓ cup unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer, sub half & half
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, sub dairy-free sour cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Serving Suggestion:
- mashed potatoes
- cooked egg noodles
- lingonberry jam
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Make Meatballs: Place 3 slices bread and ⅓ cup unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer in a large bowl; let sit for 5-10 minutes. Use a fork to mash up the soaked bread and add 1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper to the bowl. Mix to fully combine. Remove one tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time and roll into a meatball (highly recommend using a small cookie scoop). Continue this process with the rest of the meat mixture. Place meatballs in a single layer in an oven-safe cast iron skillet or braising pan.
- Bake: Move the entire skillet to the preheated oven and bake, uncovered, for 22-24 minutes or until cooked through (their internal temperature should be at least 160℉). Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked meatballs from the hot pan and set aside. Drain remaining grease, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons in the bottom.
- Make Gravy: Bring that same skillet to a medium-high heat and add 4 tablespoons butter to melt. Whisk in 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour to create a roux. Gradually pour in 1¾ cups beef broth, whisking continuously, until it is fully incorporated. Continue this process by pouring in ⅓ cup unsweetened/unflavored dairy-free creamer, whisking continuously. Let it simmer and thicken a bit, if needed to reach your desired consistency. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sour cream and ½ teaspoon kosher salt right before adding the meatballs back to the pan.
- Combine: Add the meatballs back into the pan and toss in the cream sauce.
- Serve: Recommend serving over mashed potatoes with or without a side of lingonberry jam.
Notes
- Mashed Potatoes: feel free to make our Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, store-bought instant mashed potatoes to keep it easy, or any other favorite mashed potato recipe.
- Creamer: option to use half & half or keep it a little lighter with an unsweetened, unflavored dairy-free creamer. We used a NutPods dairy-free creamer, but we also love the Silk Dairy-Free Half & Half or Califia Farms BetterHalf.
- Gluten-Free: simply use gluten-free bread when making the meatballs, gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour in the Swedish meatball sauce, and serve over mashed potatoes or gluten-free noodles.
- Dairy-Free: use a dairy-free creamer, plant-based butter, and dairy-free sour cream.
- Storage: keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Susan says
Easy recipe to follow. Delicious! Lots of sauce👍Whole family enjoyed.
Erin Jensen says
Glad to hear that, Susan!!
E says
So good and surprisingly easy!
Renee says
These were Amazing! Very easy recipe to follow. I made a double batch and shared with our son who is a huge foodie. He loved them too!
Erin says
Aw yay, Renee!! That is so awesome to hear!
Sarah Gragson says
Delicious! A hit with all 8 of us!
Erin says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Sarah!