When I lived in the US, I heard of this magical store, Ikea. Not only did it have all kinds of home furnishings and accessories, but it also had a restaurant where you could eat Swedish meatballs. Unfortunately, I didn’t live anywhere near a store, so I never got the chance to visit one. Fast forward, and I end up in Germany. I don’t remember where we were going, but Daddy and I were on the train and I was happily babbling, then all of a sudden, I saw it. I saw a rectangular blue sign with yellow letters. I stopped mid sentence and in a not so inside voice squealed “LOOK DADDY THERE’S AN IKEA! BAMBI CAN HAVE MEATBALLS!”. At this time I had gotten everyone’s attention because well, they’re trying to figure out why the world I’m so excited over the local Ikea. Daddy promises me that we will go to Ikea and eat meatballs. Not that moment like I was ready to do, but soon. So I calm myself down and the waiting begins. Then one day, we get on the bus. Daddy doesn’t tell me where we’re going. I’m looking around and not seeing anything familiar, until I see the sign. Sweet Swedish meatballs at last! I don’t think the employees in the restraunt ever saw someone so happy to be getting a plate of meatballs and french fries. I enjoyed the heck out of those meatballs. I still do. I get excited whenever Daddy mentions going to Ikea for dinner(plus the restaurant is right next to the kids’ section, so it’s a total win for me), but to get my meatball fix in between Ikea visits, I found this recipe and it is fantastic if you have a hankering for some Swedish meatballs and don’t have an Ikea nearby.

Ingredients

For the meatballs: 

1 cup breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup minced white onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 pound lean ground pork 1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten Vegetable oil, for brushing

For the gravy: 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup heavy cream Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions: Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.

Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lingonberry jam, if desired.

I personally always double the sauce because Daddy always likes a lot of sauce. I’m not gonna lie, I do too. And as for the seasonings, I do my own thing. I usually use paprika, rosemary, and a little pepper. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the recipe, that’s half the fun of cooking!

You can find the recipie here at FoodNetwork.com