The Best Swedish Meatballs

• slices white bread, no crusts↗4
• heavy cream↗0.5 cup
• onion powder↗1 teaspoon
• garlic powder↗0.75 teaspoon
• ground beef (I use 85/15)↗1 pound
• ground pork (you can also sub with another pound of ground beef instead)↗1 pound
• egg↗1
• brown sugar↗2 tablespoon
• kosher salt↗2 teaspoon
• a few shakes of black pepper
• butter (you can also use some drippings from the baked meatballs)↗2 tablespoon

  you can also use some drippings from the baked meatballs

• flour↗2 tablespoon
• beef broth (more as needed)↗1.5 cup

  more as needed

• heavy cream↗1 cup
• Worcestershire sauce (more to taste)↗1 tablespoon

  more to taste

• brown sugar↗1
• kosher salt (to taste - I recommend adding it last so you can taste and adjust for how much you want)↗1 teaspoon
• Very slight dash of nutmeg

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Meatball Mixture: In a small bowl, soak the white bread in the heavy cream for 5-10 minutes. Mash with a spoon or you hands. Mix the bread paste in a large bowl with the garlic and onion powder, beef and pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. When it’s all well-mixed, roll into smallish meatballs. (If you find the mixture is too wet to handle, you can add a bit of panko or a tablespoon of cornstarch to help them hold a bit more. But don’t panic – wet is normal for this mixture. It makes for very tender meatballs!)

2. 2

   Bake the Meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs on a sheet pan or baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

3. 3

   Gravy Time: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. (You’re going to add the meatballs back into this pan so make sure it’s a nice big skillet, saute pan, or braiser casserole dish.) Whisk in the flour; let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth, slowly, stirring after each addition. Gradually a smooth gravy should start to form. Stir in the heavy cream and season with Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and a bit of nutmeg if you want. Taste and adjust to get it just right! That’s where the magic happens.

4. 4

   Add meatballs in with the gravy. Cover to keep warm until you want to serve them, or transfer the pan to the oven where they can hang out on low / warm heat and continue to get tender and delicious. (The meatballs are already great on their own, but the longer they soak in sauce, the more tender and delicious they get.) Serve over mashed potatoes, with a cucumber salad and lingonberries .