Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Broccolini

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Eat your heart out IKEA.

• Serves 2-3, depending on your stomachs. Makes 16 meatballs, if that helps.

• Skill level: 3

• Spice Level: 0

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Here’s what you need to make the thing:

• 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• ~1/2 cup butter, divided

• 227g ground beef

• 227g ground pork

• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 60ml grated yellow onion

• 3-4 Red Potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters

• 1 Bunch baby broccoli (broccolini), ends trimmed

• 355ml beef broth

• 120ml heavy cream, divided

• 3 tablespoons sour cream

• 80ml whole milk

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 25g Panko breadcrumbs

• 40g all-purpose flour

• A spice blend, 1/4 teaspoon each:

  • Black pepper

  • Ground allspice

  • Ground ginger

  • Ground nutmeg

• Sea salt to taste

• Kosher salt to taste

• Black pepper to taste

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Here’s how to make the thing:

For the Meatballs:

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the panko and milk until combined.

2. Set mixture aside to soak for 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Add the ground beef, ground pork, garlic, egg,  and onion to the (same) mixing bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt, and the spice blend of, black pepper, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg evenly on top. Use your hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined, being careful not to over-mix the ingredients.

4. Using a medium cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop and roll the mixture into 2-tablespoon balls (about 40g each) and place them on the prepared baking sheet or plate.

5. Heat a healthy drizzle of olive oil in a large, high-walled skillet, over medium-high heat.

6. Add half of the meatballs in an even layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides. Transfer the meatballs to a clean plate.

7. Repeat this process with the remaining olive oil and meatballs, transferring the browned meatballs to the same clean plate.

8. Discard any remaining pan drippings. Keeping the brown bits, we want that beautiful fond!

9. Add 60ml of butter to the same sauté pan and cook until melted. Whisk in the flour until combined and cook, whisking occasionally, for 1 minute.

10. Gradually add the beef stock to the pan, whisking constantly to combine.

11. Continue cooking until the mixture has thickened, then stir in 60ml heavy cream and Dijon until combined.

12. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. (Depending on the brand of beef stock used, you may need a generous amount of salt here, so don’t be shy!)

13. Add the meatballs into the pan with the gravy in an even layer. Continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink inside.

For the Mashed potatoes:

1. In a medium pot, add potatoes with enough water to cover, and salt.

2. Bring water to a boil and keep at a rolling boil until potatoes are done and fork-tender.

3. Strain off water.

4. Place potatoes in bowl or in the pot they were in before, and using a potato ricer, or masher, mash potatoes until smooth. Adding a mix of butter, heavy cream, and sour cream, until you achieve your desired consistency and flavor. (See notes on this.)

For the Broccolini:

1. Preheat oven to 375°f

2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place broccoli on sheet.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, using your hands to cover the broccoli all over.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until slightly browned and cooked through.

• Notes

  • When adding butter, heavy cream, and sour cream, I just go by sight or taste. In the end it's up to you!