I’m obsessed with the phrase: “smothered in gravy”.

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

I kinda feel like everything should be smothered in gravy or sauce, even desserts (which would be smothered in chocolate, or caramel sauce, of course!)

These Swedish Meatballs are reeeally smothered in a rich and creamy gravy. They are so delicious and so much better than the IKEA version that (we all hate to admit) we love eating when we go furniture shopping!

Just this week I already made this recipe twice and almost had to make it a third time.

Nothing wrong with the first attempt. It’s just that it’s SO HARD to resist it!

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

The first time, as the meatballs finished cooking in the gravy, I took one to see if they were cooked through and oh my God! I was immediately hooked.

I started eating them non-stop and then it was too late and I didn’t have enough to photograph. So I was like… “Oh well, I guess I’ll have to make them again tomorrow!”, and texted my husband all the ingredients he would have to get after work.

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

The next day I make the meatballs and I strongly resist the urge to eat them all again. Then I leave to go to work and when I get home, Tim had eaten 5, even though I specifically told him I would have to shoot them first.

Good thing it was only 5 and I was still able to photograph that batch, or I would be now making my 3rd batch of Swedish meatballs in the period of one week! Woof! Talk about meatball love, huh?

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

But, honestly, these meatballs definitely make the list “Food I could eat every day for the rest of my life!”.

And as I write this, my mouth is already salivating and I’m so glad I’m gonna have meatballs for dinner.

Provided Tim hasn’t eaten them all…

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

He’s probably scared to eat them after I got mad at him yesterday! LOL It’s worth the wait though… Today we will have the meatballs over mashed potatoes and with some lingonberry jam, that I got from IKEA, on the side.

You can definitely make your own lingonberry jam/sauce or just substitutes for cranberry sauce! Like the one we eat for Thanksgiving, ya know?

Or you can just eat the meatballs over pasta. Or rice.

Or just straight out of the pan, like I did…

Swedish Meatballs | www.oliviascuisine.com | Swedish Meatballs smothered in gravy. So delicious and so much better than the IKEA version!

Swedish Meatballs

Yield: 50 meatballs
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 slices white bread (I use potato bread! Yum!), without crust and cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 9 Tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2 large eggs
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 quart beef broth
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or to taste)

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, mix the bread cubes and the milk and let it sit for a few minutes so the bread can soak the milk. Using a fork, mash the bread/milk mixture until smooth. Reserve.
  • In a large sauté pan, over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter. Once the butter melts, add the onion and sauté until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the onions to the bowl with the bread/milk mixture and mix with a spoon or fork until incorporated.
  • In a large bowl, combine the onion/bread/milk mixture, the ground beef, the allspice, the nutmeg, the eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, mix everything together until you have a cohesive meat dough.
  • Form about 50 small meatballs (about 1 inch thick), placing them on a plate.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter, over medium heat, on that same large sauté pan you used for the onions.
  • Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides. Make sure you are gentle and that the pan is not too hot (control the heat, lowering if necessary), or they will stick to the bottom and fall apart!
  • Reserve the meatballs on a separate plate so you can start working on the gravy.
  • If the butter burns, discard and add 4 new tablespoons. If not, you can just use the same butter to make the roux.
  • Once the butter is melted, slowly whisk in the flour, until smooth. Continue cooking until the mixture is a dark brown color.
  • Start adding the beef broth, slowly, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and silky.
  • Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
  • Transfer the meatballs, without the sauce, to a serving dish.
  • Add the sour cream to the brown sauce, whisking until you achieve a smooth creamy gravy. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if necessary.
  • Pour the gravy over the meatballs and serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam!
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