Scandi-Style Meatballs with Gravy

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This scandi-style meatballs with gravy recipe appeared in last month's BBC Good Food magazine, alongside another meatball recipe that we couldn't resist making...meze meatballs!  It's been a while since we've visited an Ikea restaurant...but guaranteed when we do, we both love their meatballs with gravy...and chips!  You could also enjoy them with mashed potatoes, if you fancy. 

The seasonings used in these meatballs make them absolutely delicious, and along with the gravy and berry sauce...you could feel like you're sitting in an Ikea restaurant and not your own home!   Go on, make them...you know you want to!

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How to make this Scandi-Style Meatballs with Gravy

Ingredients

• 75g breadcrumbs
• 50ml milk (I use semi-skimmed)
• 300g beef mince (at least 12% fat)
• 300g pork mince (at least 5% fat)
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• a drizzle of vegetable oil
• a small handful of dill, leaves picked, to garnish

For the berry sauce (see Tips):

• 150g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 75g caster sugar

For the gravy (see Tips):

• 20g butter
• 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 400ml good quality beef stock
• 50ml single cream (I use Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
• a splash of Worcestershire sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve (optional):

• mashed potatoes or chips - try our chunky oven chips

Instructions

1. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 10 minutes, or until the milk has been absorbed.
2. Combine the beef, pork, allspice, pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, add the milk-soaked breadcrumbs and use your hands to squash everything together for a few minutes until well combined.Roll the mixture into meatballs about the size of a cherry tomato.   Chill for at least 30 minutes on a baking tray or plate.   Note: the meatballs will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours, or frozen for up to 2 months.
3. Make the berry sauce by cooking the cranberries and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat with a splash of water for 5 to 8 minutes until the berries have burst and the sauce looks syrupy and glossy. Add a little more water if it becomes too thick.   Leave to cool.
4. Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4 and have a baking tray to hand. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium heat.   Cook the meatballs, in batches if needed, for 8 to 10 minutes until nicely browned on all sides.   Transfer to the baking tray and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes while you make the gravy.
5. Melt the butter in the same frying pan you fried the meatballs in (no need to wash it first), and stir in the flour. Sizzle for a minute or 2, then slowly add the stock, whisking to make a smooth sauce.   Bubble for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the gravy to thicken, then add the cream and Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning, to taste.   Tip the meatballs back into the gravy, scatter with the dill and serve with mash or chips, if you like, and the cranberry sauce.

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Scandi-Style Meatballs with Gravy

By: Deborah

Just like sitting in an Ikea restaurant...delicious meatballs, along with a gravy and berry sauce...yum!

PREP: 20 minutes minutes

COOK: 25 minutes minutes

Chilling time (or overnight): 30 minutes minutes

TOTAL: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main

Cuisine: Swedish

Servings: 4 people

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Equipment

• Baking tray
• Saucepan
• Cast iron skillet

Ingredients

• 75 g (2.6 oz) breadcrumbs
• 50 ml (3 ½ tbsp) milk I use semi-skimmed
• 300 g (10.6 oz) beef mince at least 12% fat
• 300 g (10.6 oz) pork mince at least 5% fat
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• a drizzle of vegetable oil
• a small handful of dill leaves picked, to garnish

For the berry sauce (see Notes):

• 150 g (5.3 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 75 g (2.6 oz) caster sugar

For the gravy (see Notes):

• 20 g (0.7 oz) butter
• 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
• 400 ml (1 ¾ cups) good quality beef stock
• 50 ml (3 ½ tbsp) single cream (I use Elmlea to reduce the calories!)
• a splash of Worcestershire sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve (optional):

• mashed potatoes or chips - try our chunky oven chips

Instructions

• Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 10 minutes, or until the milk has been absorbed.
• Combine the beef, pork, allspice, pepper, flour, Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp salt in a large bowl, add the milk-soaked breadcrumbs and use your hands to squash everything together for a few minutes until well combined.Roll the mixture into meatballs about the size of a cherry tomato.   Chill for at least 30 minutes on a baking tray or plate.   Note: the meatballs will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours, or frozen for up to 2 months.
• Make the berry sauce by cooking the cranberries and sugar in a small saucepan over a medium heat with a splash of water for 5 to 8 minutes until the berries have burst and the sauce looks syrupy and glossy. Add a little more water if it becomes too thick.   Leave to cool.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4 and have a baking tray to hand. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large skillet or frying pan over a medium heat.   Cook the meatballs, in batches if needed, for 8 to 10 minutes until nicely browned on all sides.   Transfer to the baking tray and bake in the oven for another 10 minutes while you make the gravy.
• Melt the butter in the same frying pan you fried the meatballs in (no need to wash it first), and stir in the flour. Sizzle for a minute or 2, then slowly add the stock, whisking to make a smooth sauce.   Bubble for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the gravy to thicken, then add the cream and Worcestershire sauce and some seasoning, to taste.   Tip the meatballs back into the gravy, scatter with the dill and serve with mash or chips, if you like, and the cranberry sauce.

Notes

• Berry sauce – I struggled to get fresh or frozen cranberries in our local supermarket in February, so bought a jar of cranberry sauce instead!
• Gravy - I make the full recipe of gravy to go with half the quantity of meatballs as we like a lot of gravy!
• Make ahead - the meatballs will keep covered and chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Freezable (for up to 2 months) – freeze a batch of these meatballs for another day – they’re actually best frozen before being cooked.   Defrost overnight and they make for an easy, speedy midweek meal.   On making this recipe the first time, I made the full recipe, ate half along with David, and froze the other half for another day.
• This scandi-style meatballs with gravy recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.

 

You might also like to try:

• mashed potatoes
• chunky oven chips
• meatball dishes
• pork dishes
• beef dishes

Nutrition

Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1093mg | Potassium: 732mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 324IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS beef mince, berry sauce, cranberry sauce, Ikea meatballs, pork mince

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