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swedish meatballs over noodles with parsley and parmesan

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Isabel Laessig
Creamy and decadent, this easy Swedish Meatballs Sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. This is the best sauce for Swedish meatballs you can make easily from scratch!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine American, Swedish
Servings 4 servings
Calories 193 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large bowl if preparing meatballs with the sauce

Ingredients
  

Swedish meatballs

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey; don't use ground turkey breast exclusively or the meatballs will be dry
  • 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg mix together with breadcrumbs
  • ½ onion finely minced
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Swedish meatballs sauce

  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream; 1 cup sour cream may also be used in place of half of the milk or cream
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cups egg noodles if making with sauce
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese optional
  • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
 

  • If making meatballs with the sauce, combine ground beef, Italian breadcrumbs mixed with nutmeg, onion, egg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
    1 lb. ground beef, 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, ½ onion, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
    rolling meatballs by hand
  • Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add canola oil. Roll meatballs into golfball-sized balls and cook them until browned, about 1 minute on both sides.
    2 tablespoons canola oil
    swedish meatballs cooking in a pan up close
  • Slowly add beef broth, milk or heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
    2 cups beef broth, 2 cups whole milk, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
    stirring swedish meatball sauce around meatballs
  • Bring the liquid to a boil. If you're making the dish with egg noodles, you can add them to the pot now to cook them in the sauce, or start them in a separate pot if preferred.
    4 cups egg noodles
    adding egg noodles to swedish meatballs in pan
  • Stir until the sauce thickens (enough to cook the noodles, if cooked together); about 7 to 8 minutes. If using, mix through parmesan and parsley until the cheese melts.
    mixing parmesan into the swedish meatballs sauce and pasta
  • Serve, and enjoy!
    1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, ½ cup fresh parsley
    mixing parsley into the swedish meatballs sauce

Video

Notes

  • Note: Nutrition does not include meatballs or pasta, only the sauce.
  • If you don't already have a Swedish meatball recipe you love, try making your meatballs with a mixture of ground beef or turkey, Italian breadcrumbs mixed with a light amount of grated nutmeg, minced onion, salt, pepper, and an egg. Roll them into golfball size or smaller, and cook in the same pan as the sauce.
  • Avoid using ground turkey breast meat exclusively, or the meatballs will turn out dry.
  • Use half the amount of milk or heavy cream and substitute the other half for sour cream to add a zing to the sauce.
  • If you like, you can add mushrooms. Saute them in the pan and let them brown and soften before adding the sauce ingredients.
  • Add a slightly spicy flavor by mixing in a Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard.
  • Use less salt and a low sodium beef broth if you need a lower sodium meal.
  • Reduce the pepper to a teaspoon if you're sensitive to pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 1280mgPotassium: 373mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1050IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 394mgIron: 1mg
Keyword swedish meatball sauce, swedish meatball sauce recipe, swedish meatballs sauce, swedish meatballs sauce recipe
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