Swedish Meatballs

Adapted from Ardith Ellingson's
Serves 8

Meatballs:

2 Cups Soft Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 Cup Half and Half
1 TBSP Butter
3/4 Cup Chopped Onion
2 lb. Lean Ground Beef ( or 1 1/2 lb ground beef & 1/2 lb ground pork)
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Minced Fresh Parsley
3-4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp Ground Ginger
3/4 tsp Ground Allspice
3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Gravy:

Meatball drippings & up to 3 Tbsp butter
4 Cups Beef Broth, divided

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or sour cream)

3 1/2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour

Gravy #2:

If you don't have time to let the meatballs simmer in the broth for a few hours, you can just make a traditional gravy.

3 Tbsp flour

3 Cups beef broth

3 Tbsp butter

Meatball drippings

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (or sour cream)

Meatballs:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 pan.
In large bowl of electric mixer, soak breadcrumbs in half and half for 10 minutes. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir into breadcrumb mixture. Add beef, pork, eggs, parsley, salt, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. With electric mixer, beat at high speed until mixture is fluffy. Dip 2 teaspoons in ice water until cold. Use cold spoons to shape meat mixture into tiny meatballs and place in baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until meatballs are cooked - about 40 minutes for normal sized meatballs, probably about 25 for tiny meatballs.

They don't have to be totally cooked, because they will simmer in the gravy for a while.

*Save the drippings for the gravy.

**The meatballs are best if they have a crispy outside, so after they were cooked, I pan-fried them for a couple minutes to get crispy.

Gravy:

When the meatballs are cooked, dump them in a large pot and add 3 1/2 cups of broth and the meatball drippings. (You may need to add some butter if there aren't many drippings.)

Simmer until close to serving time - the longer they can simmer, the more flavor they will have.

To thicken gravy: *you may need to remove some meatballs to make it easier to whisk the flour mixture in.*

In a bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup broth & 3 1/2 Tbsp flour. Add to the broth in the pan and whisk until beginning to thicken. Add the cream (but don't bring it back to a boil because it might curdle).

Serve.

Gravy #2:

If you need to make these quickly anddon't have time to let the meatballs simmer in the broth, here are the instructions for traditional gravy.

In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and broth. Add the meatball drippings and butter and bring to a simmer. Simmer until beginning to thicken, then add the cream (don't bring it back to a boil because it might curdle). Pour over meatballs.

6 times for 12 lb meat. Made 224 fed 43 people with 2 serving bowls left over.