Swedish Meatballs with Cream Gravy

Swedish Meatballs

• 5 tablespoons butter — divided
• 3 tablespoons yellow onion — finely chopped
• ½ cup light cream
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 ½ pounds ground chuck
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 large egg — lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon allspice — ground
• dash cloves — ground

Cream Gravy

• Pan drippings and browned bits from meatballs — from the meatballs; retain about 3 tablespoons total fat in the skillet
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 cup water
• to taste Salt (optional) — to taste
• to taste Black pepper (optional) — to taste
• ½ teaspoon bottled gravy seasoning (optional) — optional

1. Cook the Onion: In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent without deep browning. Transfer to a small plate and let cool for 5 minutes.1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp onion
2. Prepare the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl combine light cream, water, and breadcrumbs. Let stand 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs are fully softened. Add the cooled onions, ground chuck, ground pork, eggs, salt, black pepper, allspice, and cloves. Mix gently with clean hands or a fork until evenly combined; do not overmix.½ cup light cream, ½ cup water, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp onion, 24 oz ground chuck, 8 oz ground pork, 2 eggs, 2 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp allspice, cloves
3. Shape the Meatballs: Using damp hands or a 1-tablespoon scoop, roll the mixture into small meatballs about 1 inch wide. Arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet or large platter. You should have roughly 40–50 meatballs.
4. Brown the Meatballs: Heat the remaining butter in the same large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs about 4–6 minutes per batch, turning carefully until deeply golden on several sides. Add the butter gradually as needed so the pan stays lightly coated. The centers do not need to be fully cooked yet. Transfer the browned meatballs to a platter and reserve any juices.remaining butter, meatballs
5. Make the Cream Gravy: Pour off excess fat, leaving about 3 tablespoons fat and all of the browned bits in the skillet. If needed, add any remaining butter to make about 3 tablespoons fat. Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat 1–2 minutes until bubbling and lightly golden. Stir the light cream and water together, then gradually whisk them into the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3–5 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and bottled gravy seasoning if desired.pan drippings, remaining butter as needed, 3 tbsp flour, 1 cup light cream, 1 cup water, salt, pepper, gravy seasoning
6. Finish the Dish: Return the meatballs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently 8–10 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally, until the centers reach 160°F and the gravy remains smooth. Do not let the cream gravy boil hard.meatballs, gravy
7. Serve: Spoon the meatballs and cream gravy over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles and serve warm.