Creamy Pasta & Swedish Meatballs

I originally found this recipe in Rachael Ray's cookbook. I tired it out for the first time and it was quite easy and tasty. So tasty that my brother kept coming back for more...3 days in a row he ate the leftovers. 


Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min


Ingredients
1 pound mixed ground beef, pork or veal

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4-1/3 cup cream or sour cream
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons of your choice: lingonberry preserves, red currant or grape jelly
• 1 pound egg noodles, cooked to al dente
• Finely chopped fresh dill, for garnish
• Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
• 1/2 cup cornichons or baby gherkin pickles, finely chopped (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

In a bowl, mix meat with egg, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cream, onion, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Heat a saucepot over medium heat. Melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or two. Then whisk in stock and thicken for 6-8 minutes. Stir in sour cream and jelly and warm through. Season the finished sauce with salt and pepper.

Carefully remove the meatballs from the baking sheet with a thin spatula.

Mix meatballs and egg noodles with sauce and garnish with dill, parsley and finely chopped cornichons 

or baby gherkin pickles, if using.

This recipe was fairly easy and was quick.  I did feel like something was missing though. Maybe it's because I didn't have any pickles to garnish at the end. It would have added a nice crunch to the dish. Also there were too many meatballs for the amount of pasta so next time I will make less. Overall it filled our bellies and was a great leftover.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Recipe courtesy: rachaelray.com

Christy