My great grandparents were first-generation Swedish Immigrants and, while I’m not an expert on Swedish heritage or cuisine, a few pieces of their culture have made their way down to me through three generations. I keep a red Dala Horse on my bookshelf for luck, eat cinnamon buns on Christmas morning, and love my meatballs the Swedish way, small and covered in creamy gravy.
Slow cooking is the perfect method for creating moist, flavorful meatballs. Bread crumbs soaked in cream give the meatballs smooth velvety texture. Don’t be scared of the sugar and warm spices; they blend beautifully with creamy sauce.
Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs with Noodles
6
15 mintes
4 hours
4 hours, 15 minutes
2 slices stale bread, crumbled
1/2 cup (140 ml) heavy cream
1 lb. (450 g) ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon (15 g) brown sugar
1 teaspoon (7 g) salt
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) allspice
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (.5 g) nutmeg
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
3 cups (720 ml) beef broth
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) paprika
1 cup (240 ml) sour cream
12 oz. (340 g) egg noodles
In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs and heavy cream; toss and let sit for 5 minutes to soften.
Add ground beef, egg, brown sugar, salt, allspice, pepper and nutmeg to breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly.
Grease inside of a 6-7 quart slow cooker with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Separate out rounded tablespoons of mixture, forming into balls with hands. Place balls in bottom of a 6-7 quart slow cooker, separating slightly. Add beef broth, Worcestershire and paprika. Cook on low for 4 hours.
Add noodles to slow cooker and cook 20 more minutes. Stir in sour cream and cook an additional 10 minutes to heat through.
Pro Tip: If you like your meatballs with a firm outer crust, cook in a wide flat skillet in 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, turning until evenly browned, 6-8 minutes, before adding to slow cooker.