Creamed Swedish Meatballs

One of our childhood church pastor’s wife was Swedish, and everyone loved her meatball recipe so much the church started putting on Smörgåsbord dinners featuring that recipe.  Folks lined up outside the church to eat and the church women paid for a new church kitchen with their profits. 

This recipe may not be hers, but it tastes like it.   

It is a large recipe and really will serve 12; I served some and froze the rest, flat in quart freezer bags.  It reheats well after thawing in the refrigerator overnight.  If you wish, bake the meatballs on a foil-lined half sheet for 20 minutes at 400°; then continue with the recipe.  You don’t have to use the butter for browning that way, and half as much is all that is needed in the sauce.  Pour the pan drippings into the sauce.

Creamed Swedish Meatballs

  1           Cup  Fine Dry Breadcrumbs

  1           Cup  Milk

  2           Pounds  Ground Beef

  1           Cup  Onion -- finely chopped

  2           Large  Eggs -- lightly beaten

  1 ½       Teaspoons  Salt

     ¼       Teaspoon  Pepper

  1           Teaspoon  Nutmeg

     ½       Cup  Butter

     ¼       Cup  Flour, All-purpose

  3           Each  Beef Bouillon Cubes -- or beef base

  3           Cups  Hot Water (I only used 2 cups)

  1 ½       Cups  Light Cream

  1 ½       Cups  Milk

Soften bread crumbs in 1 cup milk.  Add beef, onion, eggs and seasonings; mix thoroughly   Shape into 1 inch balls (I used a size 60 scoop and got 72 meatballs.)

Heat butter in large skillet; add meatballs, a few at a time.  Brown on all sides.  Remove meatballs; stir flour into drippings.  Blend well.

Dissolve beef base or bouillon cubes in hot water.  Gradually add to flour mixture, stirring constantly until smooth.  Add remaining milk and cream.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.  Add meatballs.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  "Ground Beef Cookbook "