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–+ servings

Savory Swedish Meatballs

I don’t have a long, celebrated family history with Swedish meatballs. My introduction came while shopping at IKEA.
Yield: 35 Meatballs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
 

For the meatballs:

  • 1¼ pounds ground turkey, 93% lean
  • ¼ cup rolled oats*
  • ¼ cup skim milk
  • ½ yellow onion, finely minced
  • ¼ cup minced parsley, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large egg
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the sauce:

  • 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 6 tablespoons lite cream cheese*
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Ingredient Details to Know
*Use certified gluten-free oats and double-check cream cheese ingredients if you follow a gluten-free diet. 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the oats and milk and set aside for about 5 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining meatball ingredients with the oat-milk mixture, using a rubber spatula or your hands. Do not overmix. Shape into about 35 small meatballs, about an inch in size.
  • NOTE: The batter will be wet—this is normal. If you find it too fussy to shape, cover and place in fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. I suggest forming each meatball with your fingers versus rolling with your palms.
  • Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet and bake in oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. *Note: In some instances, moisture will settle around the meatballs, simply discard the fragments when transferring from baking sheet into the simmer sauce.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. Add all sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth and no lumps remain. Pour into a large sauce pan or deep skillet and warm over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • The sauce will eventually start to thicken. Season with additional salt and allspice to taste. Add cooked meatballs to pot with warm sauce, reduce heat and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

Nutrition provided for 5 meatballs with sauce; each plain meatball without sauce is 25 calories
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Calories: 170Carbohydrates: 6gProtein: 21gTotal Fat: 8g— Unsaturated Fat: 5.5g— Saturated Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 730mgFiber: 1gTotal Sugar: 2g— Natural Sugar: 2g— Added Sugar: 0g
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.