Swedish Meatballs
This is one of my husband's favorites. I created it using several other Swedish meatball recipes that didn't quite make the grade.
This is one of my husband's favorites. I created it using several other Swedish meatball recipes that didn't quite make the grade.
- Carbohydrate 2.04573500057315 g
- Cholesterol 78.610702901268 mg
- Fat 17.5187188754121 g
- Fiber 0.269350006222725 g
- Protein 21.7459203961583 g
- Saturated Fat 6.93881610628649 g
- Serving Size 1 1 to 5 serving (143g)
- Sodium 81.9347410550721 mg
- Sugar 1.77638499435042 g
- Trans Fat 2.49754754602293 g
- Calories 259 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and the milk. Add the beef, cream of wheat and onion and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place balls on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 20 minutes.
- Drain meatballs on paper towels, if needed. Then place meatballs in a lightly greased 2 quart casserole dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the soups with the evaporated milk, stirring until smooth. Pour over the meatballs.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for another 40 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Baking the formed meat mixture at 350 degrees F for precisely 20 minutes ensures the proteins coagulate without drying out the interior. Mixing ground beef with uncooked dry cereal requires distinct moisture considerations compared to traditional breadcrumbs. Dry cream of wheat absorbs liquid rapidly during the initial mixing phase, acting as a structural binder that retains moisture inside each one-inch sphere during baking. Overworking the meat mixture when incorporating the egg and milk produces a dense, rubbery texture instead of a tender bite.
Ingredient Substitutions and Structural Consequences
Adjusting the binding and liquid components alters the final consistency of both the meatballs and the sauce. Substituting traditional breadcrumbs with dry cereal changes the starch content, requiring the full amount of milk specified to prevent the mixture from becoming too stiff. Evaporated milk provides a concentrated dairy fat that prevents the canned soup base from curdling during the 40-minute casserole bake.
- Replace dry cream of wheat with standard fine breadcrumbs at a one-to-one ratio if cereal is unavailable.
- Swap evaporated milk for whole milk only if a thinner sauce consistency is acceptable.
- Drain excess grease on paper towels before transferring the meat to the casserole dish to prevent the sauce from separating.
