Monday's Bread Bowl: Swedish Meatballs

The Mixed Stew is on hiatus for the holiday. We are serving up oldies but goodies (re-runs) for the whole week. Happy New Year!

Post from September 14, 2009

Bring a taste of Sweden home
The slight minty flavor of dill combines with the rich texture of sour cream in this dish. Thank the Scandinavian region for producing such an elegant interpretation of ground beef and gravy. Serve Swedish meatballs on top of spaghetti noodles or with mashed potatoes. IKEA (Yes, the furniture store has a public cafeteria) serves it with lingonberry jam; however, we think that any good raspberry jam makes a fine substitute.

What you will need:

1 large frying pan with lid

1 wooden spoon

1 bag frozen meatballs (Armour, Simek, Mamma Lucia, or other favorite)

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup milk

½ cup water

1 can beef broth

¼ cup yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 16 oz container sour cream

2 teaspoons dried dill or 4-6 fresh stems, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried parsley or 3-4 fresh stems, finely chopped

Cooking Directions:

Heat frying pan on medium-high for a few minutes. Add butter to heated pan. Next, throw in onions and garlic. Let the onions turn translucent and be careful not to burn the garlic. Pour in whole bag of frozen meatballs and lower heat to medium. Cook for at least 10-15 minutes so meatballs can sear a bit. Add canned broth, milk and water. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Now, cover and let pan simmer for 25 minutes. Next, add the whole container of sour cream and mix well. Make sure to turn meat balls every so often. Throw in dill while mixing. Finally, cover and let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Toss parsley on top and give a final stir before removing from heat. Garnish with a little more dill. Serve and enjoy.