Anyone who has been to IKEA knows that the Swedes are known for their meatballs. Traditionally Swedish meatballs are made with ground beef and a creamy gravy accompanies them and ground nutmeg gives them their distinct flavor. My mom has always made this Scandinavian dish with ground turkey instead of beef, making for a tasty and lighter variation of the recipe. Growing up this spin on the traditional dish was a staple and has always been a favorite of mine, so much so that it was the meatball recipe that I chose to share when KATU’s AM Northwest invited The Meatball King to do a cooking segment.

Mom’s Swedish Meatballs

We have always served these meatballs with egg noodles, but would also pair well with spätzle.

Meatballs

• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup dried parsley flakes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
• 3 cups water
• 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon (or 3 chicken bouillon cubes)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash onion powder
• Dash garlic powder

Mix the ground turkey, 1½ teaspoons salt, black pepper, eggs, 1/3 cup parsely, 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and bread crumbs together until thoroughly mixed. Roll into walnut sized balls. Place in a frying pan with a little oil. Brown in the frying pan on medium heat, turning them to brown all around each meatball. Remove from pan and place in a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Add the oil and flour to the drippings in the pan from the meatballs. Whisk together to form a roux. Cook for a couple minutes on medium-low heat. Dissolve the Better Than Bouillon in the water, whisk the mixture into saucepan and continue mixing until the sauce is smooth. Add the Kitchen Bouquet, a browning and seasoning sauce. Continue stirring until sauce thickens. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in sour cream until thoroughly mixed. Mix in 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, a dash of onion powder and a dash of garlic powder. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cover and bake at 350º for approximately 25-30 minutes. Serve with cooked egg noodles.