So OK, I’m not Swedish, not even remotely Swedish. I am French with a little bit of German thrown in for interest. I think. Actually, the part of France my maternal grandfather’s family came from was the area around Strasbourg, France. (What were they thinking leaving the beautiful area around Strasbourg to settle on the mid-western plains? But I digress……) At one time Strasbourg was a town in old Germany. Strasbourg lies in the heart of Europe just 240 miles from Paris, Geneva, Munich and Brussels. So am I more German than French on my mother’s side, who knows? And as to what actually flows through my veins; it could be one of the five French “mother” sauces, Tomat, Bechamel, Veloute, Espagnole or Hollandaise with a small addition of the classic German sauce Grie Soβ, or any combination thereof. Matters not, I like them all! On my father’s side, his forefathers immigrated from the French part of Switzerland also to the mid-west. (All my ancestors were apparently crazy!) So, like I said – I am not Swedish. However, my former husband is, so I learned a few Swedish dishes along the way. (After all, with step children named Eden, Sven, and Ursala, you are pretty much obliged to learn something from the Scandinavian cuisine!) So along with pickled herring and Glögg (and yes I know I have very eclectic tastes), Swedish meatballs were a common main dish in our household. Of course my meatballs bear very little resemblance to anything I was served when I was visiting Sweden, but for now let’s just keep that our little secret. Skål! (Cheers!)
- 1/3 c. dehydrated onion
- ½ tsp. granulated garlic
- 2 T. parsley (dried or fresh)
- ½ tsp. ground savory
- ¼ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp. dried rosemary
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ tsp seasoned salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 2 T. milk
- ¾ c. uncooked oats
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. seasoned pork sausage
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tsp. beef base
- 2 c. low fat sour cream
Combine the onion, garlic, parsley, savory, paprika, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper, eggs, and milk in a bowl. Add the oats, ground beef and pork sausage. Forms into balls with a small ice cream scoop. Place on a low sided baking pan and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Meanwhile whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, beef base, and sour cream. When meatballs are out of the oven, layer them with the sour cream mixture in a covered casserole. Cover dish and bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking an additional 15 minutes.
Side dish suggestions: Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes, Noodles Romanoff or
buttered wide noodles, Green Beans
Wine pairing: A nice buttery Chardonnay