Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

There are many versions of Swedish meatballs, and this is the way we like ours. They're juicy, tender, and flavorful in a creamy and rich sauce. We enjoy them over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles and served with lingonberry sauce or cranberry sauce.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 417 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ pound lean ground pork
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups beef broth
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• cooking spray
• ¼ cup finely chopped celery
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a baking rack on top. Spray the baking rack with cooking spray.

Step 2

Combine bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl. Allow bread crumbs to soak up the milk for about 10 minutes. Mix in ground beef, ground pork, onion, parsley, celery, egg, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper until combined; mixture will be fairly wet. Shape into 36 meatballs with a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop. Place meatballs on the prepared baking rack.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), about 18 minutes.

Step 4

While the meatballs are baking, melt butter for sauce in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes.

Step 5

Remove meatballs from the oven and add to the sauce mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream, dill, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.