Swedish Meatballs

You might think that when dinner time rolls around in this house I’m joyously running around the kitchen stirring and tasting and seasoning. The smell of pure deliciousness filling the house. Everyone is sitting around the table, forks in hand, eyes wide and tummies growling.

HA! In my dreams. Sometimes that is the scene {or as close as it’s gonna get}. Like on holidays for instance.

The table is set ahead of time and we’ve gone without food for an entire afternoon because, “Dinner is almost ready” every 30 minutes.

Since I am not the picture of perfection every night I like to fake it. I’m really good at faking it.

These meatballs are my go to dinner. I make a big batch ahead of time, store them in plastic freezer bags and grab one when I need to look like I’ve been cooking all day.

The recipe for the meatballs is below. I always try to have a few bags in the freezer that I serve with spaghetti or another favorite, swedish meatballs. These are actually nothing like swedish meatballs {at least not the ones in IKEA and they should know} but that is what we have always called them.

To make my swedish meatballs you need two ingredients. Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce. That’s it. Mix a 10 oz jar of jelly with a 12 oz jar of chili sauce. Pour over the meatballs in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you are in a hurry defrost the meatballs in the microwave, combine them with the sauce in a pot, and cook on medium-low for 20 minutes or until the meatballs are completely heated through.

Meatballs

• Yield: Makes 6 dozen meatballs

Adapted from The Betty Crocker Bridal Edition Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. lean ground beef;
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion;
• 1 cup bread crumbs;
• 2 eggs;
• 1 tsp salt;
• 1/2 tsp pepper;
• 1/4 cup milk.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients except the milk. Add the milk as needed until it is moist.
3. Form into 1″ meatballs and place onto a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool then place half in a large plastic freezer bag. Repeat with the second half. Lay flat in the freezer until fully frozen. Store for up to 3 months.