Swedish Meat Balls for Christmas Eve
Why For Christmas Eve???
Well, obviously these can be made for any occasion. But there are between 20 and 30 people that come over my house every Christmas Eve, so I need dishes that are economical, easy to make, makes a lot and of course delicious. Everyone in my family loves this recipe. Like I wrote below, there are different ways of making them, but this recipe was given to me by my sister, Marian. She gave me several really good recipes. Another one is the Carrots and Mushroom recipe which I already posted as a hub. There have been others, but back to, but back to the Swedish Meatballs.
So for Christmas Eve along with other dishes, we will be enjoying these Swedish Meatballs. I would love to hear about some of your special dishes you make for Christmas. Enjoy!
Some Information About Swedish Meatballs.
I was interested in finding out if Swedish meatballs were actually from Sweden and what was their origin. So I googled it and found out a little information.
Swedish meatballs, or kottbullar, must be prepared, above all, with love. This is why 'Mom's meatballs' are a widespread concept in Sweden, and there are many different favorite recipes. Some people feel there should be grated onion in the meatball mixture, while others prefer to dice the onion and fry it separately. Some people feel that their meatballs should be served with thick brown gravy, while others prefer it with a thin meat juice. As part of a smorgasbord buffet, it is better to skip the gravy altogether.
In southern Sweden many people prefer their ground meat with a little more fat, but the further north you go, the less port you will find in the meatballs mixture. However, bread allowed to swell in milk are important. It gives the meatballs their special soft consistency.
Dredging the Meatballs in Flour
An easy and quicker way to dredge the meatballs is to make them all first and place them in a tray and then dust them with flour by putting some flour in a small sifter and shake it over the meatballs. Then as you are taking them out of the tray, just roll them around a little so all sides get some flour.
Photos of Preparing Swedish Meatballs
Please Vote
Christmas Eve
These are just a few pictures of Christmas Eve. I have been doing this for about 30 years so there are tons of pictures, but not all on my computer.
Some Pictures of Our Christmas Eve
Hints
When browning the meatballs, don't crowd the frying pan. You will have to do them in batches. If you crown the pan, the meatballs will steam and not brown properly.
Also you can add a little more butter if you need to and if it is getting too thick while they are simmering then you can add a little more broth.
12" Non Stick Frying Pan with Lid
- 3 cups bread crumbs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 6 tablespoons onions, chopped
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 2 lb.s ground beef
- 2 cups chicken or beef broth, which ever you prefer
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
Directions
- Soak bread crumbs in milk.
- Saute onion in 3 tablespoons of butter until they are soft. Let them cool a little
- Add all the ingredients to the ground beef. Make small meatballs, about 1".
- Roll them in flour. Heat your pan and melt the rest of the butter. Add the meatballs on medium heat, turning them around to brown on all sides. When they are all cooked then you can return them all to the frying pan.
- Add broth; cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the broth has thickened into a light gravy. (See notes titled "Hints" above before browning the meatballs).
