Creamy Swedish Meatballs with Mushrooms
As a food blogger and recipe developer, I’ve made my fair share of meatballs, mostly with a tomato based sauce. These Creamy Swedish Meatballs are a surprising departure from the usual. If you are late to the party like me, you are in for the most delicious surprise.
Meatballs and spaghetti originated from New York in the early 1920’s, the creation of ingenious Italian immigrants, not from Italy, as is often thought. Most countries have their own version of meatballs. Favourites in the Bibby’s Kitchen are tapas-style Spanish meatballs, North African chermoula meatballs and of course, Italian Prosciutto meatballs. Adding to the blog’s meatball repertoire is my latest favourite, creamy Swedish meatballs. It is my first time making this Nordic speciality, Sweden’s famed meatball, known to locals as Köttbullar.
The sauce is rich with sturdy flavourings that meld easily together. One would think that being a Swedish recipe, the ingredients would be hard to find. Surprisingly, they’re everyday pantry staples really – Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and fresh cream. That takes care of the sauce. For the meatballs you’ll need flat parsley, mixed spices, egg and breadcrumbs.
Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are made with pork mince. I’ve made it with beef mince and it worked a charm. I’ve also added mushrooms to the sauce and a drizzle of lemon enhanced extra virgin olive oil to contrasts the richness of the sauce. Fluffy mashed potatoe or tagliatelle are happy bedfellows.
Creamy Swedish meatballs with mushrooms
- olive oil, for frying
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 250 g portabellini mushrooms, sliced
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) oregano
- 500 g lean beef mince
- 30 g (1/3 cup) fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to finish
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) mixed spice
- 1.25 ml (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
- 2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) butter
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) cake wheat flour
- 350 ml chicken stock
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Worcestershire sauce
- 10 ml (2 teaspoons) Dijon mustard
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) fresh lemon juice
- 250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream
How to make Swedish Meatballs
Heat 15 ml olive oil in a wide-based pan. Add the and sauté until soft and translucent. Remove to a plate and set aside to cool.
To the same pan, add a little more oil. Cook the mushrooms over a high heat until the liquid is evaporated. Season lightly with salt, black pepper and oregano. Remove from the pan and set aside until late.
For the meatballs, place the mince, cooled onions, breadcrumbs, egg, chopped parsley, spices, salt and pepper. Mix by hand until all the aromatics and breadcrumbs are evenly worked through. Roll into 22-25 evenly sized balls.
Heat 15 ml olive oil in the same pan and cook the meatballs until browned on all sides. Remove the meatballs from the pan and add to the mushrooms.
Add the butter to the remaining oils in the pan and heat until bubbling. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the hot chicken stock, whisking all the while to prevent lumps forming. Now add the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Whisk in the cream and bring slowly up to the boil.
Return the meatballs to the pan and coat in the creamy sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thickened. Scatter over a handful of chopped fresh parsley and drizzle with Lemon enhanced olive oil, if you like.
Serve with buttered tagliatelle pasta or fluffy mashed potato.
Here are those meatball recipes I mentioned before.
Barbecue meatballs with bacon gravy
22 Comments. Leave new
Can’t wait to get home tonight !!!!
They look great.
Just right for a rainy, grey day like this! I’m definitely going to try these Di. Thank you! x
So excited!!! I have been wanting to try Swedish meatballs for ages! And now I have a recipe from a trusted source 😉 Going to make this asap!!! Yay 🙂
I know, me too. Hard to believe it’s taken me so long, but finally I’ve made the Swedish version. So good.
Hey Gilly. It’s pure creamy comfort and so much simpler than I thought. x
You’ll have to move! Good things don’t hang around….
These meatballs look great Di. They are one of my favourite things and these look so authentic!
Kids of all ages (including grown up kids!), just love meatballs. These are creamy and so very comforting.
I made Swedish meatballs for the first time earlier this year. I was completely blown away by the sauce, just amazing. Thanks for this recipe! Try using sour cream instead of cream next time you make them, really yum 🙂
I’ve always stuck to a tomato based sauce with meatballs, so this creamy version is an interesting and very indulgent departure. I always seem to have a pot of sour cream somewhere in the fridge, so I’m going to give it a try soon. Thanks Mari.
Made these and they did not disappoint. Thanks Di!
Pleasure Michelle. How good? Real comfort food.
Tried these mouth watering meatballs, which were loved by the whole family. Will surely make them again. Thank you.
Hi Vicky. I love recipes that the whole family can enjoy. It makes cooking so much simpler. These creamy meatballs always go down a treat here too! Thanks for stopping in.
I have made these quite a few times already now and plan to make them this evening for my Swedish mother-in-law (yikes). One time, I broke the sauce by mistake by putting in the oven to keep warm (still learning how NOT to do things but oh well)… such an amazing recipe. Thanks for introducing me to such yumminess!!
Hi Amy. I hope your Mum in law loved the meatballs. There are a couple of variations in this recipe that are slightly different from traditional Swedish recipes, but I think they add extra flavour. Thank you for sharing your meatball ‘pitfalls’ with us!
Wow! Didn’t know a meatball could be so good. That has to go up there with one of the best things I ever ate and I’m no stranger to good food.
Thank you Tom! They’re rather special. Never can say to a good meatball.
I always add a teaspoon of honey it takes this sauce to a new level
Hi Jo. Thank you for the handy tip. Definitely going to try this next time.
We always add some honey to the sauce – it’s next level. We make the meatballs with an equal mix beef & pork mince
I do love the combination of two different meats. Often, I’ll mix lamb and beef. I haven’t tried beef and pork together though. Next time I make these, I’m going to follow your tips. Thank you!