There are many different kinds of meatballs, but today I want to focus on Swedish Meatballs. Have you ever been in a restaurant that had Swedish Meatballs on the menu? You don't see that often around here. Maybe at a cafeteria. Well, one day I was at a restaurant and I decided to order their "Swedish Meatballs." Talk about disappointment! They brought out a bowl of what could only be described as meatball soup. Meatball soup IS a thing in different cuisines. But Swedish Meatballs are not meatball soup.
Granted, it's not the fanciest place in the world, but the food is usually passable (for the most part), and resembles its menu description. Not so with the Swedish Meatballs. What ended up at our table was nothing but meatball soup. Bland meatballs...not much flavor at all, plus some large pieces of bell pepper, and there were a few waterlogged tomato pieces in it too. I ate it, because I don't like to waste food, but it took a very long time to get over it. Plus, since I was really busy at the time, I didn't have time to make any at home to help erase that terrible meatball experience for at least 6 months.
Anyway, I had to have a rant about that. I've been meaning to rant about it for a while on this blog but I didn't have time. Well, here it is...finally. (I won't call out the name of the establishment that has the non-Swedish Meatballs. If you want to know, I can reveal the name privately.)
I like my Swedish Meatballs with cream sauce. Some enjoy them with a little ligonberry jam or sauce on the side, but it's not a requirement for me as long as the cream sauce is available, along with some egg noodles.
Here is a batch I made recently, paired with spaetzle and sautéed asparagus. A lot of work but well worth it. I'll have to post the recipe. I got it from a Swedish friend, and of course I did some tweaking...not to change the recipe, but to enhance the texture of the meatballs.
So, until next time...Happy Eating! :)
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