Swedish Meatballs with Cream Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

Ingredient amounts are scaled. Amounts written inside the instructions are for 4 servings, so scale those to match.

Cooking for 6 or more? You may need to split this between two pans or pots (or cook in batches) so it cooks evenly and browns instead of steaming.

• 1 1/2 lb Ground beef (85% lean)
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 7/8 cup Milk
• 1 each Eggs
• 1/2 each Yellow onion, grated
• 2 cups Beef broth
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 lb Russet potatoes
• 1 large Cucumber
• 3 tbsp White vinegar
• 1/2 cup Lingonberry jam or whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 6 tbsp Butter
• 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg
• 3 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Peel the potatoes, cut them into 1-inch chunks, and put them in a large pot with cold water to cover and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Do not turn on the heat yet.
2. Make the meatballs: in a large bowl, stir the panko into 1/3 cup of the milk and let it sit 5 minutes. Add the grated onion, egg, allspice, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and stir. Add the ground beef and mix gently with your hands, just until combined (overmixing makes tough meatballs). Wash your hands with hot soapy water after handling the raw beef and egg.
3. Roll the mixture into about 24 meatballs, each about 1 1/4 inches wide, and set them on the sheet pan. Bake 16-18 minutes, until browned and a meatball cut open in the center is no longer pink and reads 160°F. As soon as the meatballs go into the oven, put the pot of potatoes on the stove, bring it to a boil, and cook 15-18 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
4. While the meatballs bake, make the cucumber salad: rinse the cucumber, slice it thin, and toss it in a bowl with the vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit at room temperature until serving.
5. Make the gravy: melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the 3 tablespoons of flour and cook 1 minute, until bubbling and lightly golden. Slowly whisk in the beef broth, then simmer 4-5 minutes, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Stir in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and simmer gently 2 minutes (do not boil hard once the cream is in).
6. Add the baked meatballs to the gravy and simmer over low heat 3 minutes, turning them once, until coated and hot.
7. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the warm pot. Mash with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, the remaining 1/2 cup of milk (warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds), and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, until smooth.
8. Serve the meatballs and gravy with the mashed potatoes, a pile of drained cucumber slices, and a spoonful of lingonberry jam on the side for dipping.