Turkey "Swedish" Meatballs

First, I'm officially back! I hope you all enjoyed the remainder of your summer and are getting used to the full schedules again. It was a rough couple of weeks around here with a lot of personal issues to attend to, but I did manage to create a nice backlog of recipes to share with all of you in the coming weeks. I also wanted to let you know that the monthly newsletter will be coming out this afternoon and I have signed on with a new company, Mail Chimp, so be on the lookout for that if you're signed up! Also, this Friday Seafood Frenzy Friday link party will be back up and running after a brief hiatus, so pass the word around and share with your friends. I can't wait to see what's in store.

And now for today's new recipe, Turkey "Swedish" Meatballs, that I posted as a teaser on Facebook last week. I didn't want to keep you hanging on for too long with these~Enjoy! 



I was flipping through an old cookbook recently when I saw a recipe for Swedish Meatballs. It's not something I think I ever made myself, nor did I grow up eating it that often, but my kids seem to gravitate toward them at parties. I wanted to try them out for myself, but also wanted to use turkey instead of beef since my cholesterol is through the roof. Even though I only ate beef 3-4 times a month before, I'm trying to cut it out even more now with my new medical dilemma. Every little bit helps right!

These were SO easy to make and the family loved them. Well, all of us except Gab, who prefers the beef version, though she did say they weren't horrible and ate them anyway. I also like the fact that the entire meal was prepared in under 30 minutes; which is a life saver now that the kids are back in full swing. I'm sure you could even prepare the meatballs ahead of time, make a little extra gravy and keep them heated in the crock pot during the day so that they're nice and hot when you get home from work.

 
Turkey "Swedish" Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes                   Yield: 30-34 meatballs 
Cook Time: 15 minutes                  Servings: 5-6
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the Meatballs

• 1 lb. Ground Turkey (I use 99% Fat Free)
• 3/4 c. Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. Red Onion, small dice
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

For the Gravy

• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 2 tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• 2 c. Milk (I used 2%)
• 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions

For the Meatballs

1. In a bowl, add the turkey, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, 1 tbsp. of oil and parsley and mix well. 
2. Form the mixture into 1 1/2" meatballs. (My batch yielded 33)
3. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides; approximately 5-8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside while you make the gravy. 

For the Gravy

1. In the same saute pan, melt the butter, then whisk in the flour to form a roux. 
2. Add in the milk, bouillon cube and parsley and whisk until the cube is dissolved. 
3. Turn the heat on high and allow to come to a boil. The mixture will begin to thicken. 
4. Reduce the heat to low, add back in the meatballs and cover the pan. 
5. Allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring the meatballs halfway through so they get covered. Serve over egg noodles or rice. 

Enjoy! 

Nutrition Facts

Per Meatball

Calories 40, Carbs 1.8g, Fat 1.8g, Protein 4.3g, Fiber .1g, Sugar .9g

Per Serving (based on 6 meatballs)

Calories 222, Carbs 10g, Fat 9.8g, Protein 23.6g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into Calorie Count and may not be 100% accurate.