Swedish Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

One of the challenges of feeding a crowd over the course of several hours is coming up with a hearty finger food that can endure sitting in a warm crock pot without simmering into a mush. These meatballs fit the bill. And the recipe I used was loosely based, providing more of a guide line of ratios and suggestions for seasonings than hard and fast rules and measures. These are my favorite sorts of recipes...

adapted from an article in Mens Health, Dec 2010

makes about 2 dozen meatballs

The Ingredients:
The Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (equal parts pork and beef)
2 large eggs
2 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg

The Gravy:
1/2 lb sliced white or cremini mushrooms
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a large bowl combine ground meat, eggs, onion and nutmeg. In a small bowl, soak the torn bread in milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk and add the bread to the meat. Mix (preferably with clean hands, or a wooden spoon for the squeamish) until well combined.

Form the mixture into 1-inch diameter balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meatballs in batches until they are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them and prepare the sauce in the skillet.

For the sauce, add the mushrooms to the skillet. Saute until browned, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the beef broth, whisking to prevent lumps. Then stir in heavy cream; simmer until the gravy has thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve the meatballs with the gravy.

My modifications:
I doubled the recipe and kept the meatballs and sauce warmed in a slow cooker for the duration of our house warming and moving party.

The Review:
These meatballs were a huge hit among those who tried them...even the friends who were not fans of fungi. A double batch was way more than was needed. However, the meatballs withstood the fridge well for several future meals, and even froze pretty well.

The basic meatball ratio outlined in the article I referenced was 1 1/2 lbs meat, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup bread crumbs and seasonings of your choice (onion , garlic, ginger, jalepeno, herbs, etc etc to your liking). Bake at 450 for 12 minutes, or pan fry...its an easy enough guide to remember without having to dig out the cookbook or track down a recipe online. Spicy lamb with feta or Asian pork meatballs may be next!

Lingonberry Apple Pie

Exit 88 off of I-94 holds a dear old world secret. Nestled in the quaint downtown of Osseo rests a small Norwegian restaurant and bakery. This little gem has become our regular pit stop whenever we venture into Wisconsin for one reason only...their award winning pies. They put forth an astounding lingonberry apple pie. I cannot promise this pie comes anyway near the pies they create, but the little red berries brought great joy to my Scandinavian self.

adapted from Pillsbury's apple-berry pie recipe

yields one 9" pie

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen lingonberry

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

pastry recipe for a 9 inch double crust pie

5 to 6 cups sliced peeled apples (5 to 6 medium)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

The Process:
Preheat oven to 425

In 1-quart saucepan, mix berries, 1 cup of the sugar, 1 Tbsp of the cornstarch and the water. Heat to boiling. Boil 5 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Prepare your pastry and line a 9" pie plate with one crust.

In large bowl, mix apples, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch, the cinnamon and nutmeg until apples are coated. Stir in cooled cranberry mixture.

Spoon into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Alternatively, cut second crust into strips and arrange in a lattice work over the filling, pinching the edges to seal.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. After 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

My Modifications:
The only change I made to Pillsbury's recipe is an essential change...I used lingonberries in lieu of cranberries. These can be tricky to find. Fortunately a global market in town happens to have a Scandinavian vendor...who happens to carry the tart little rubies in frozen form.

The Review:
For a first attempt at a lattice top, this pie turned out quite well! The apples stayed firm and a tad tart. Come fall the bounty of beautiful apples should yeild one or two much better for baking. The lingonberries offer a tartness, not unlike cranberries. A bit of lemon zest and a touch more sugar were wanted though.

Regardless, this apple berry pie provided a wonderful breakfast the next day...as well as dessert later on!