Braised Swedish Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs are one of our family traditions for the holiday dinner table – not only are they easy to make but a great dish for a buffet dinner or cocktail party. There are many variations to the recipe you can make: a white sauce with dill and sour cream, a red wine or tomato sauce, or a brown beef gravy sauce with allspice and sour cream which is my Grandmother’s recipe that my Mom always used to make. You can also substitute frozen or pre-made meatballs (Swedish meatballs or plain, not Italian-style) if you don’t feel like making your own, but either way they are delicious and a surefire hit at the dinner table. The meatballs are great served over hot buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes with a side of Lingonberry or Cloudberry sauce, which you can find online at Swedish and Finnish grocery sites and Amazon.com. Saute some julienned veggies such as carrots and zucchini and squash to serve on the side along with a glass of crisp white wine or Glogg, a Swedish mulled wine that is a traditional drink served at Christmas.
Braised Swedish Meatballs
2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1 egg, well beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced parsley, plus 1 tbsp for garnish
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
dash of celery salt
dash of allspice or nutmeg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 jar beef gravy (or homemade gravy if you prefer)
1-2 tbsp sherry (optional)
1/2 tsp allspice or nutmeg
1/2 cup of sour cream
hot buttered noodles or mashed potatoes
Lingonberry sauce or Cloudberry sauce
Combine first eleven ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and shape into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown meatballs in 2 tbsp oil; pour off fat. Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs on a cookie sheet for 15 mins on 350 degrees F., drain grease and then bake another 10 mins. and pour into a large dutch oven or casserole on the stovetop.
Combine remaining ingredients (gravy, sherry, allspice or nutmeg) except for the sour cream; pour over meatballs. Simmer 20 minutes. If the gravy seems too thick, you can thin it with a bit of water to the desired consistency. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream; continue cooking until heated through. Do not boil. Serve over noodles or mashed potatoes, garnish with additional parsley and a side of Lingonberry or Cloudberry sauce. Goes great with a crisp, Alsatian white wine such as Riesling or Gerwurstraminer, and a side of sauteed veggies.
Makes approx. 50 meatballs.
Classic Comfort Food:: Beef Stroganoff
Beef Stroganoff is a dish that always reminds me of home – my mother used to make this on cold winter nights as a special treat for my Dad who is a total ‘meat and potatoes guy’ – obsessed with anything including beef, noodles and gravy. Maybe it’s a German-Polish thing?? She oftentimes prepared this dish with ground beef for a quick and easy dinner, but I’ve adapted her recipe a bit by adding a few extra ingredients to make my own savory version by adding some wine, fresh garlic and thyme. True comfort food for a chilly night, just like Mom made it.
Ingredients:
½ lb. fresh white mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
¼ c. flour
2 lbs. round steak (sliced ¼”-1/2” thick)
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/3 c. red wine
1 1/2 c beef broth
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 c. sour cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 package wide egg noodles
Preparation:
Boil a large pot of water and cook egg noodles per directions. While water is boiling, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, mushrooms and garlic until soft in 2 tbsp butter and remove from pan. Cut steak into strips 2 ½” long and ¾” wide. Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in pan. Toss steak strips in flour and coat. Brown meat in butter until well browned on both sides. Add salt and pepper, worcestershire, wine and broth. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender (about 1 ¼ hours). Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, thyme and parsley and cook approximately 7 mins, until sauce thickens. Add sour cream, stir until smooth and remove from heat. Serve over hot buttered egg noodles and garnish with more parsley. Enjoy with some crusty bread, a green salad and a glass of red wine.
To make a casserole: combine beef stroganoff mixture with cooked egg noodles with butter and spoon into a greased casserole dish. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven and then top casserole with crunchy fried onions and bake 10 mins more until onions are crunchy and golden brown.
Serves 6-8.
Other Beef Stroganoff Recipes you may enjoy:
Williams Sonoma Beef Stroganoff
Best Brunch in Town!
Clinton Street Baking Company
Best Brunch in Town! I can’t believe I’ve lived in NYC for over 5 years
and I haven’t tried this amazing little spot on the Lower East Side yet.
Originally opened in 2001 as an artisanal baked goods spot by husband
and wife team Neil Kleinberg and DeDe Lahman, this popular brunch spot
has become a favorite among New Yorkers and famous for their blueberry
pancakes and delicious homemade comfort food menu.
Their baked goods spread is impressive, including pies, muffins,
cookies and tarts and the atmosphere is busy and buzzing – a sure
sign of good food in New York City!
My friend and I visited yesterday and despite the long wait had
the best brunch we’ve had in a long time. I ordered the Crispy
Smoked Bacon and Potato Pancakes which were perfectly crisped
to a golden brown and served with a delicious side of homemade
apple sauce and a cinnamon sour cream that complemented the
tart apples and crunchy, golden pancakes.
My friend ordered the Banana Walnut pancakes which were
stacked to the ceiling, topped with sliced fresh bananas and
walnuts and served with a side of warm maple butter to top
the fluffy cakes off. So delicious!
Their menu is well rounded with Breakfast, Sandwiches,
Soups, Salads, Burgers, Pizzas, Quesadillas, as well as a
variety of delicious Main Dishes such as Braised Short Ribs,
Grilled Chicken, Crab Cakes and Shrimp and Grits. They also
serve lunch and dinner (delivery and takeout!), their featured
dish on Wednesdays is Fried Chicken and Waffles! Gotta go
back for those!
They recently released their own cookbook, and make
custom birthday cakes to boot! This place has a comfy
diner-like atmosphere in a hip location with comfort
food to die for. Definitely worth a trip next time you are
in the LES in New York City!
4 Clinton Street, New York, NY 10002 | 646.602.6263
http://www.clintonstreetbaking.com/
Spice up Your Night w/ Southern-Style Taco Soup
Southern-Style Taco Soup is something I discovered when I lived down South in Atlanta. My friend’s Mom (a great Southern cook from Alabama) made this for us one winter night and it was strangely delicious – similar to chili yet a warm flavorful soup with corn, black beans, kidney beans and green chilies and diced tomatoes. The key is the taco seasoning and ranch salad dressing mix – it gives it tons of flavor and a creamy consistency. Top it off with corn chips, sour cream, jalapenos and grated sharp cheddar and you’ve got a hearty soup that eats like a meal. Delish!
Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups diced Sweet Vidalia onion
1 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can sweet white kernel baby corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles (Rotel)
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
Dash of Tabasco or hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated sharp cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, for garnish
Sliced jalapenos, for garnish
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, hot sauce, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. Alternatively you can cook the soup in a slow cooker on low for about 6 hours which really makes the flavors meld together.
Serve with corn chips in the bowl and pour soup over the chips. Garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, fresh cilantro and sliced jalapenos.
Serves 10-12.
