Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: January 22, 2013

Swedish meatballs made in the slow cooker are a stress-free way to enjoy this retro dish.  Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are made from a combination of ground meats, usually beef, pork and veal.  This recipe solely uses ground beef but feel free to add others.  These meatballs are first cooked in the oven before being soaked in the mushroom gravy.  Serve your Swedish meatballs with buttered egg noodles.
Swedish Meatballs
Meatballs:
3 pounds ground beef
	2-3 eggs
	1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
	1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
	2/3 cup evaporated milk
	3 tablespoons parsley
	1 tablespoon onion flakes
	1 teaspoon oregano
	1 teaspoon basil
	1/2 teaspoon sage
	1 teaspoon salt
	Mushroom Gravy:
5-6 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
	1/2 medium onion chopped
	1 stick butter
	1 can beef broth
	2 cups milk
	1 can beer
	2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
	1/2 teaspoon salt
	1/2 teaspoon pepper
	1 cup flour
	2 cups sour cream
Directions:
Combine all ingredients for meatballs. Mash well until all ingredients thoroughly incorporated.
Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls and lay out on cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
While baking meatballs, melt butter in large wok.
Add onions to butter and simmer until transparent.
Add mushrooms and continue to simmer about five minutes.
Add 1/2 cup flour and simmer, stirring constantly, until thoroughly incorporated.
Add broth, milk, beer, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
Stir constantly until well combined.
Transfer to slow cooker.
Add meatballs.
About one hour before serving, combine 3/4 cup flour with 1 cup of mushroom gravy juice and stir slowly into cooker until well combined.
Set slow cooker to low, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Turn cooker to warm and keep warm until serving.
Just before serving, stir in sour cream until well combined.
Serve with noodles, rice, or perogies.

Comments:
Charles
July 29, 2013

Made today (7/29/13) and pretty much halved the recipe and skipped using the slow cooker.  I used my biggest, deep, stove-top pan.  Very nice recipe and will not only keep it but will make it again.  As an experiment, I added about 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese 5-spice powder (cinnamon, anise, fennel seed, cloves, ginger, black pepper [I count 6 here]) to the meatballs.  It gives them (and the house LOL) an exotic flavor hint and scent.