This Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe is a traditional meal for our family on Christmas Eve. The flavors are divine and it comes together easy and can even be done in the crockpot. It’s Eric’s great grandmother’s recipe so you know it’s authentic and has survived generations!
Originally posted January 23, 2013
I’m listening to Eric singing in the shower after working out at the gym. He’s one of those good people of the world who exercises every day, even after a long day at work. Me? Well I’m pregnant. I know, doctors keep telling us that this is in fact exactly why I should start exercising, but we all know doctors change their minds about stuff like this every 10 years anyway. Right??
I think I might be nesting. Or maybe I’m just finally reaching what most people would consider a normal level of cleanliness. We’ll see how long it lasts. Today I scrubbed my oven within an inch of its life. I deep cleaned my Kitchenaid. I did all the laundry in the house. Changed all the sheets. I even cooked dinner. Yet somehow I managed to avoid the biohazard level of dirty dishes that were literally overflowing my sink. You know those days, when the dishes are stacked so high that it’s impossible to fill your water pitcher without bailing in water from a cup, and you can’t wash your hands without lifting up your elbows.
Sometimes I write about stuff on this blog that I think other people will relate to, but then I realize that no, I’m the only one in the world who is this disgusting.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
These meatballs, on the other hand, are divine. Eric’s family is Swedish, and this is the special meal they eat every year on Christmas Eve. It is a nonnegotiable family tradition hailing from his beloved Grandma Prudie. They are awesome and delicious and guess what, they are super easy. Check out the special section of the recipe with instructions on how to make them in the slow cooker.
As easy Swedish Meatballs go, these are similar to the meatballs you can get at Ikea (but way better!). A few years ago we pitted it against my brother-in-law’s Italian meatball recipe for the ultimate meatball showdown. But it was no context – these Swedish meatballs won hands down!
Five years ago: Swedish Cinnamon Buns with Cardamom
Six years ago: Roasted Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Alfredo
Seven years ago: Sausage, Potato, & Kale Soup
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Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3-5 dashes hot sauce
- 3 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1 & 1/2 cans water
- 5 lbs boiled potatoes
Instructions
- Combine all meatball ingredients (ground beef through hot sauce) in a large bowl. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then spray lightly with nonstick spray. With moistened hands, shape the meat into balls that are about the size of a ping pong ball. (It doesn't really matter as long as they are uniform.) Place them on the baking sheet; you can put them right next to each other, just make sure they're not touching. Bake in a 450 oven for 11-16 minutes, until they are brown and starting to get crispy on top.
- You can cook this in the oven or in the crock pot:
- Oven directions: In a 9x13 casserole dish, combine mushroom soup with 1-1/2 cans of water. Add the meatballs and stir. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
- Crock pot: Combine the soup and water in the crock pot. Add meatballs and stir. Heat on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You just need it to get hot.
- Serve over boiled potatoes.
Nutrition
More great Swedish recipes from Grandma Prudie:
Crispy Swedish Cardamom Cookies <—- These are one of my favorite all time Christmas cookies!
Swedish Sour Cream Twists (Layered Yeast Cookies) – These are another understated sweet pastry, perfect to go with hot chocolate
I’ve been reading through your recipes and want to try a few that I have bookmarked. My primary question is you mention 3 cans of soup in this particular post. What volume are the cans you refer to? Up here in Canada our cans are slightly different in size, and we have numerous variations (as I’m sure is the case south of the 49th parallel). Being a neophyte in the kitchen I haven’t got a clue as to what a standard “can” would equate to in a recipe 😮.
Additionally in this case would the soup be the add water (or whatever) variety or the heat and serve.
Hope the stupid questions don’t make you laugh out too loud
Hi Gord! Not a stupid question! The 3 cans of soup are about 10 ounces each. And you can add the soup straight from the can, then add the water as the recipe instructs. Hope you enjoy! These are a family favorite!
I sometimes leave the dishes for last, too! A lot of the time while I’m boiling water for tea I will see how many dishes I can wash and voila done quicker than I thought. I love your sense of humor.
That is a great idea Mary!! I should definitely try out the tea strategy!
Any suggestion besides mushroom soup? I am so allergic to mushrooms.
Hi Sunny! You could replace with cream of chicken soup I think. It wont be quite the same, mushrooms are a key ingredient in Swedish meatballs. But I bet it will be tasty! Enjoy!
Hello! Love your recipes, wondering about freezing these. Should I flash freeze, then freeze like regular meatballs and when ready to use in say crock pot just add frozen meatballs and soup etc.
Thank you!
Hi Samantha, thank you! Yes, exactly what you said. Bake them, let cool a bit, then remove meatballs to a clean un-greased baking sheet. (I suppose you could use the one you cooked it on, but I like to spoon off the fat that pools around the meatballs.) Freeze for about an hour, then throw them in a ziplock and use them in whatever you want. This recipe has nutmeg and mustard in it, which I love, but if you would like a more general meatball that you can switch up the sauce on, I like to use this Easy Baked Meatballs recipe. It’s adapted from this Swedish one. Hope you enjoy them!
I just made these and they are amazing :) thank you for the recipe :)
I’m so glad you liked them Melissa! Thanks for the review!
I relate to so, so, so many things that you write about. The mile high stack of dishes in the sink? Yep. One of the reasons I insisted on a fridge that has water and ice was so my kids won’t knock over the insanely large mountain of breakable items in their quest to hydrate.
Ami this still makes me laugh every time I read it! You’re the best.
I remember when you made these for us, they were delicious! You didn’t mention when to add the dashes of hot sauce – do you put that with the meatball mixture or the sauce? Oh and I’m glad you didn’t ‘nest’ enough to polish off those dishes – we don’t want that baby here just yet!
Oh thanks I will fix that, you add it to the meatballs.