Lisa George
These tasty Swedish Meatballs are always a hit with my family! They’re lighter than most recipes but still have all the flavor.
Swedish Meatballs
My family loves these Swedish meatballs. They are so tender and flavorful and much lighter than traditional recipes out there. And, let’s not forget the sauce! The creamy sauce really makes the dish.
While most Swedish meatball recipes call for a mixture of pork and beef, I use half beef and half turkey to make them lighter. This mixture gives them a wonderful beefy flavor with fewer calories. I also don’t use heavy cream – instead, I use reduced-fat cream cheese to make the sauce creamy.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs:
First, sauté the onion, garlic, celery, and parsley to enhance their flavors. Then, add these vegetables to the other meatball ingredients: ground beef, ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and allspice and mix together. Form the mixture into 16 meatballs.
Next, it’s time to cook the meatballs. Bring the broth to a boil, add in the meatballs, reduce the heat, and cook for about 20 minutes. Once they’re cooked through, remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside.
To make the Swedish meatball sauce, strain the broth and put in a blender with the cream cheese. Once smooth, return the sauce to the skillet with the meatballs and cook on medium-high uncovered until the sauce thickens.
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
We usually serve these meatballs with noodles, roasted veggies, or mashed potatoes. I use roasted cauliflower or cauliflower mash when I am going low carb. I’ve also served them over cabbage noodles, which are basically sautéed shredded cabbage.
If you have leftovers, you can freeze the meatballs and sauce for up to three months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Meatball Recipes You Will Love:
Swedish Meatballs
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
My family loves these Swedish meatballs. They are so tender and flavorful and much lighter than traditional recipes out there. And, let’s not forget the sauce! The creamy sauce really makes the dish.
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 celery stalk, minced
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1/2 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1/2 pound 95% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs or gluten-free crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
- 3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
- chopped parsley, for garnish
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In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add celery and parsley and cook until soft, about 3-4 more minutes. Set aside to cool.
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In a large bowl, combine beef, turkey, egg, onion mixture, breadcrumbs, ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper and allspice. Mix well and form into 16 meatballs.
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Add beef stock to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly drop meatballs into the broth. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, until cooked through.
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Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon and set aside in a serving dish. Strain the broth, transfer to a blender with cream cheese and blend until smooth. Return to the skillet with the meatballs and simmer
This makes 16 meatballs, nutritional info is based on 4 meatballs with gravy.
Serving: 4meatballs, Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.5g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5.5g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 784mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g
Blue Smart Points: 7
Green Smart Points: 8
Purple Smart Points: 7
Points +: 7
Keywords: homemade swedish meatballs, meatballs, swedish meatballs
