Swedish meatballs make a scrumptious main dish or festive party appetizer - your call. Tender, fragrant with allspice and nutmeg, and bathed in a lightly creamy sauce, everyone goes wild for them. Only you need to know that they're not complicated to make, and as a bonus, they're pretty cheap eats, too.
If you serve the meatballs for dinner, make sure to offer a mountain of fluffy mashed potatoes alongside. (I offer a gluten-free adaptation below - and pictured!)
If you serve the meatballs as an appetizer, make them no more than 1-inch in diameter. I like them even a bit smaller so they can be neatly skewered with a toothpick.
For another New Year's Eve appetizer idea, see the gougeres (aka cheese puff pastry) recipe I posted at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine this week. Easy, do-ahead, and utterly addictive! Serve them hot and cheesy from the oven, or cool to room temperature - lovely with a glass of wine.
Swedish Meatballs
Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown for Food Network
Serves 4 as a main course, or makes 30 1-inch meatballs
Stephanie's note: The original recipes calls for 1/4 tsp. of allspice, but I find 1/8 tsp. much more to my liking. I have also prepared the recipe with all beef, very tasty.
2 slices fresh white bread
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons clarified butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.
In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.
Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.
Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.
Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.
* Gluten-free: Use gluten-free bread for the breadcrumbs; I used Udi's white, worked well. For the gravy, skip the flour and whisk 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch into the cold beef broth. Once the meatballs are cooked, whisk the cornstarch mixture into the pan until the sauce begins to thicken. Continue as directed.
