The first time I made this for my family, my daughter asked, “What’s the difference between Swedish meatballs and Italian meatballs?” I thought for a few seconds and said, “Italian meatballs taste like summer, and Swedish meatballs taste like winter.”

Le Creuset Dutch Oven | Silverware | Wooden Spoon

Obviously this is a gross generalization. For my Italian meatballs, I always use basil in the sauce, and it just tastes like summer. Here, the parsley with the dijon and the nutmeg – man alive, it just feels so winter, to me. Maybe even a little Christmas, I dare say.

Whatever time of year it may be, this dish is comfort in a bowl. Tender meatballs, a rich mushroom gravy, set atop a heaping portion of mashed potatoes. Great for meal prep or week night meals, but special enough to be Sunday dinner as well. This version keeps out the dairy and grain, but has a flavor that will carry you through the coldest of days.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Swedish Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

Friendly to many food allergies, this take on the classic Swedish meatball uses simple substitutions, along with a few unique flavor tricks, to create something really special. Comfort in a bowl.

Course: Main Course

Keyword: beef, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, mashed potatoes, meatballs, mushrooms, pork, swedish

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 2 lbs ground beef 90/10
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 cup sweet onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large egg beaten
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground clove
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the gravy

• 3 tbsp beef tallow or avocado oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 cups mushrooms brown varieties, chopped
• 1 cup shallots chopped
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup coconut cream or full fat coconut milk
• tt salt
• tt ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• 2+2 tbsp potato starch

Garnish

• fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Make the meatballs

• Preheat oven to 425. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix by hand to combine well. Try not to overwork the meat, otherwise it will turn gummy. Just enough to fully mix the two types of meat and all the ingredients.
• Form the meatballs to desired size. Grease a baking sheet lightly with olive oil then lay the meatballs on the sheet without touching one another. Bake in the oven until done (approximately 20 minutes on convection, 30 on standard)

Make the gravy

• Heat a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the beef tallow and olive oil, then the mushrooms and shallots. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to color. Add 2 tbsp of potato starch and stir to absorb it into the mix evenly.
• Add the stock, almond milk, and coconut cream. Stir to combine then turn up the heat and bring to a simmer. Allow the mix to cook a few minutes, stirring frequently.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Finish the dish

• Add the cooked meatballs into the gravy. Mix 2 tbsp of potato starch with 2 tbsp water. Add 1/2 at a time, stirring to combine with the gravy. Bring the gravy to a boil, if it's thick enough then discard the remaining starch slurry. If you'd like it thicker, add it and stir again.
• Serve over mashed potatoes, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.