Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

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I used to crave Swedish meatballs so much we would have to take an impromptu trip to Ikea. Now that we live far from the nearest Ikea, I’ve had to come up with my own recipe to satisfy that craving. This slow cooker Swedish meatballs recipe is even better made from scratch and is an easy set-it-and-forget-it meal!

Recipe notes:

• I have an 8 qt. slow cooker and this recipe works well in it. If you double it, you can use a large roaster pan. If you half it, you should use a 4-6 qt. slow cooker.
• This recipe can be made gluten-free using gf breadcrumbs, 1:1 gf flour, and gf egg noodles
• This recipe can be made dairy-free by substituting the milk and cream for equal amounts of a dairy alternative milk (we like coconut).

Ingredients:

Prep bin:

• 1 lg. onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp. pepper + 1/2 tsp. nutmeg + 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 6 T a.p. flour
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 lb. egg noodles

Defrost:

• 2 lbs. ground beef or 1 lb. pork + 1 lb. venison

Pull out same day:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 T cream (heavy whipping) + 1.5 cups cream, separated
• 6 T butter
• 4 tsp soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
• 2 tsp. dijon mustard

Prep Directions:

1. Finely dice the onion and set aside.
2. Peel, chop, and crush the garlic and set aside.
3. Beat the eggs slightly and set aside.
4. In a large bowl mix together the meat, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, cream, and seasonings until well combined.
5. Roll the mixture into 1 oz. balls, placing on a plate as you go.
6. Heat 2-3 T of oil in a skillet on medium.
7. Once preheated, add the meatballs, turning to brown all of the sides. Do not cook through, just brown.
8. Remove from heat and set aside.
9. To the skillet add 6 T butter. Stir on low until melted.
10. Whisk in 6 T flour until well combined.
11. Add in beef broth, soy sauce, and dijon mustard. Whisk until well combined.
12. Bring to a simmer and deglaze the pan with the broth. Let simmer 3 minutes.
13. 13. Add the sauce to your slow cooker.
14. 14. Add in the meatballs.
15. 15. Set your slow cooker to “low” for 6 hours. Or, if using a roaster pan to 200 F and set a timer for 6 hours.
16. 16. When the timer goes off, make sure to switch the heat setting to “keep warm” if your slow cooker does not do it automatically, assuming you are not ready to finish the meal at this point.

25 minutes before you plan to serve dinner…

1. Put 1.5 cups of cream in a bowl.
2. Scoop 2 T of sauce from the slow cooker into the cream and whisk. This is to temper the cream so that it doesn’t curdle, so go slowly.
3. Add 1 lb. of egg noodles to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
4. Turn the temperature to “high” (300 F on a roaster). Cook with the lid on for 20 more minutes, stirring once halfway through.
5. Serve and enjoy!