swedish meatballs

Swedish Meatballs with Red Currant Pan Sauce

Serves 4.   From the May 2015 issue of Cooking Light magazine.  A nice sweet and silky pan sauce, just 459 calories even with the noodles! 

            6 oz. egg noodles

            1 tsp. butter

            ¼ c. grated red onion

            ¼ c. panko breadcrumbs

            ¼ c. low fat milk

            3 Tbs. chopped fresh dill

            1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, divided

            ¾ tsp. salt, divided

            ½ tsp. ground allspice

            ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

            1 lb. 90% lean ground sirloin

            cooking spray

            4 tsp. flour

1 c. beef broth

            2 Tbs. red currant (or lingonberry!) jelly

            2 Tbs. sour cream

(I like to wait and cook the noodles when I start cooking the meatballs).  Cook noodles in boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain; toss with butter, cover and set aside.

Combine grated onion, panko, milk, dill, ½ tsp. pepper, ¼ tsp. salt, allspice, and nutmeg in a large bowl; stir to moisten panko.  Add beef; stir with your hands until combined.  Gently form beef mixture into 20 balls (about 1 Tbs. each).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add meatballs to pan; cook 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or just until cooked through (thermometer inserted into center of a meatball should register 160 degrees).  Transfer meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate; leave browned bits in pan. 

Place flour in a medium bowl; gradually whisk in broth.  Return pan to medium heat; add broth mixture and jelly to pan.  Cook 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Remove pan from heat; whisk in sour cream, remaining ½ tsp. pepper, and remaining ½ tsp. salt.  Add meatballs back to coat with sauce and serve over noodles.