Mini Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and JamWho doesn't love having lunch at Ikea? Ok, well, probably a lot of people. But I after going GF, DF, I really missed those yummy little meatballs, the creamy mashed potatoes, the tangy Lingonberry jam.
Now that we are living in the land of Ikea, ok, well, next door to the land of Ikea, I started to feel haunted by those delicious little morsels. Though, to be fair, last time I was there, they did say that had a GF version of the meatballs, but not a DF version of the mashed potatoes. They were good, but it wasn't quite the same without mixing the gravy, jam, and potatoes together. So, when I saw this recipe from SpoonForkBacon, I had to make my little adjustments and tweaks to fit my dietary needs. Here is the original recipe from their wonderful website, with my changes in red next to it: Serves 4-ish Ingredients: mashed potatoes: 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped 4 tablespoons unsalted butter - 1/4 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste - Along with garlic salt/powder, dill, and paprika. MY version of mashed potatoes goes a little more like this, and the seasonings can be adjusted to your liking: 1 lb of potatoes - I always use yellow or red potatoes, skin left on, cut into large cubes. 4-5 Tbs of vegan butter - I always add the dairy free butter last, though, so I can adjust to my desired level of creaminess. You will need at least 4 Tbs, though, maybe more. I use Earth Balance, or now that I'm in Norway, and there is no Earth Balance, I like using their version of Margarine. It actually tastes more like actual butter, go figure! 3/4 C of chicken stock - I usually make a cup using chicken bullion, and keep some out to add if I need to later. 1/2 Tbs of minced garlic - or more if you really like garlic. salt and pepper to taste - Along with garlic salt/powder, dill, and paprika. Here's what you do: Put a little butter in the pot to cook the minced garlic for a few minutes, then add the chicken stock. Put in the chopped potatoes and bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer with the lid on for about 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Once the potatoes are soft, start mashing! Once all the chicken stock has been well mashed, add the butter, along with salt, pepper, and other seasonings. I estimate I usually use a little less than 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, maybe a tsp of dill, 1/2 tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of garlic powder (use less salt if you're going to also use garlic salt), and if I have it, another 1/2 tsp of fennel powder. It's good to sprinkle on a little less at first, then add as you taste. Once you have mashed those in pretty well, and the potatoes are looking pretty creamy, bust out the hand mixer and whip those potatoes good! If you want creamier, add more butter, or chicken stock, or even a little dairy free milk. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can play around with it a little bit, until you find YOUR perfect version. It's pretty forgiving. Swedish meatballs and gravy: 1 slice white bread, crumbled - Just toast and crumble a piece of your favorite GF bread 1/4 cup milk - Dairy free milk of your choice. We tend to use almond milk. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided - Again, just use vegan butter of your choice 1/2 cup finely diced onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 pound lean ground beef - I actually didn't have any ground beef on hand, and it's super expensive in Norway, so we just used 1 lb of ground pork. Pork is HELLA cheap here. And they were still delicious. 1/2 pound lean ground pork 1 large egg, beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice - I didn't have any allspice on hand, so I added some cinnamon, clove, and cardamom instead. But I'm sure it's wonderful with allspice. 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 tablespoons all purpose flour - Use your favorite GF flour blend. In the states, I my favorite was Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF flour. 1 1/2 cups warm beef broth - I always use bullion, it has way more flavor than the broth in the cartons. Just sayin. 2 tablespoons heavy cream, optional - Skipped this completely. Didn't need it. If you find that you do need it, subbing coconut cream pretty much always works for when a recipe calls for heavy cream. freshly chopped parsley, for garnish - Also didn't have any of this on hand, and did not miss it. I followed the directions they gave that didn't have to do with the mashed potatoes pretty closely, though: 2. For meatballs and gravy: Preheat oven to 375˚F. 3. Place the crumbled bread and milk into a large mixing bowl, stir together and allow the mixture to sit. 4. As the bread soaks up the milk, melt 2 tablespoons butter into a sauté pan, over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until onion begins to get translucent. Remove from heat and add to the bread and milk mixture. Allow mixture to cool, about 5 minutes. 5. Add the beef, pork, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg to the mixing bowl and thoroughly mix together. Form 2 teaspoon sized meatballs and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet, 1/2 inch apart, then bake meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes or until they have just cooked through. 6. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and whisk in flour. Continue to whisk for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk the beef broth into the mixture, making sure to whisk out any lumps. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the gravy to simmer and thicken enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the cream, if using. Add the meatballs to the gravy and toss together. 7. To serve: Scoop and spread mashed potatoes onto a large platter and top with gravy covered mini meatballs. Ladle extra gravy over the top and finish with freshly sliced chives. Add the yummy jam!! My hubby picked up a jar of Lingonberry jam at the grocery store, and it was exactly what it needed to complete the Ikea experience. But WAY tastier! In the states, if you have a hard time finding Lingonberry jam, you might be able to adjust some whole berry cranberry sauce or jam to get a similar taste. Or just pick up a jar of actual Lingonberry jam from the kitchen at Ikea next time you're there! Don't forget to check out other yummy recipes from spoonforkbacon.com, they have some good ones! As always, play with your food, make adjustments, and have fun in the kitchen!
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AuthorPart time Dessert Goddess, part time dinner slinger, part time recipe hacker and full time mom. ArchivesCategories |