The Steward House Swedish Meatballs with Mustard Cream Sauce
One of my family's favorite dishes to make. I love preparing it for a dinner party. I can make it the day before and put it in a slow cooker or two. It makes entertaining simple and gives me time for the conversations and the laughter.
For our fall dinner party, I made Swedish meatballs in a mustard cream sauce served over mashed potatoes. Unfortunately I did not take photos, I was so immersed in the moment I forgot to take photos.
The original recipe was prepared for a large gathering, or for leftovers, sometimes using six pounds of ground sirloin. I've reduced the recipe for a more typical family dinner.
Recipe Information
Serves: 6–8
Preparation time: Approximately 1 hour
Cooking time: Approximately 1 hour
Best served with: Mashed potatoes
Equipment
Large mixing bowl
Large skillet
Dutch oven, approximately 5–7 quarts
Whisk
Wooden spoon
Baking sheet or tray
Food thermometer
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
2 pounds ground sirloin
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup whole milk
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
½ medium yellow onion, finely grated
2 tablespoons melted butter, slightly cooled
2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1–2 tablespoons butter or neutral cooking oil, for browning
For the Mustard Cream Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium beef stock
1¼ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Salt, to taste
Preparation
1. Prepare the meatball mixture
In a large mixing bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs and milk. Allow them to sit for approximately five minutes until the breadcrumbs have absorbed the milk.
Add the egg, egg yolk, grated onion, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, white pepper, nutmeg, allspice and salt.
Mix gently, then add the ground sirloin.
Using clean hands or a large spoon, combine everything until evenly mixed. Avoid overworking the meat, which can make the meatballs dense.
2. Form the meatballs
Roll the mixture into meatballs approximately 1½ inches in diameter.
You should have roughly 30–36 meatballs, depending on their size.
Place them on a tray or baking sheet while you finish shaping the remaining mixture.
3. Brown the meatballs
Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little butter or neutral cooking oil.
Brown the meatballs in batches, turning gently so they develop color on several sides. Allow approximately 5–7 minutes per batch.
They do not need to be fully cooked at this stage because they will finish cooking in the sauce.
Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.
4. Prepare the mustard cream sauce in the Dutch oven
Place your Dutch oven on the stove over medium-low heat.
Add 3 tablespoons butter and allow it to melt. Stir in the flour and cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Gradually whisk in the beef stock until smooth.
Add the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, Worcestershire sauce and white pepper.
Stir until everything is combined.
Allow the sauce to simmer gently for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.
Taste and adjust as needed.
5. Add the meatballs and simmer
Carefully add the browned meatballs to the Dutch oven, along with any juices collected on the plate.
Gently spoon the mustard cream sauce over the meatballs.
Partially cover the Dutch oven and simmer over low heat for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Stir gently occasionally so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
If the sauce becomes thicker than you prefer, add a little additional beef stock until it reaches the consistency you like.
6. Serve
Spoon the meatballs and generous amounts of the mustard cream sauce over warm, mashed potatoes.
Preparing Ahead
I often make this dish the day before I'm entertaining, completely finishing it. It saves time on the day of the dinner party and gives me more time to enjoy my guests. There's no sacrifice in quality. I actually think it's even better prepared the day before, although I've made it both ways.
I refrigerate the finished meatballs and sauce promptly, then reheat them thoroughly to 165°F before transferring them to slow cookers to keep warm at 140°F or above.
For gatherings, I use slow cookers so guests can serve themselves easily. I also prepare the mashed potatoes early in the day before guests arrive and keep them warm in a crock pot.
A Few Things I've Learned
I use ground sirloin when I make this recipe.
Let the panko absorb the milk before adding the meat.
Don't overmix the meatball mixture.
Brown the meatballs in batches rather than crowding the skillet. Browning the meatballs contributes a lot to the flavor.
Make the sauce in a Dutch oven. It gives you plenty of room to add the browned meatballs and let everything simmer together.
And make plenty of sauce. The mustard cream sauce is one of my favorite parts of this dish and everyone else's too, particularly with mashed potatoes.
Food Safety & Allergens
This recipe contains milk, wheat and egg. Check the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and beef stock labels for additional allergens.
Cook ground beef meatballs to an internal temperature of 160°F, measured with a food thermometer.
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of cooking. Store in airtight containers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F. The meatballs and sauce can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Keep little ones clear of the stove while the meatballs brown and the sauce simmers.