These Swedish balls of meat are packed full of flava, supa tender and goes perfectly with cauliflower mashers! Swedish meatballs are usually made with half pork and half beef but if you only have one or the other, no worries, it will still be great.
Other notes/ingredients:
I’m using almond flour to help make a roux. You can try it with coconut flour but I find the coconut flour is too absorbent. I find almond four creates the closest thing to a traditional roux. You can find the same product I purchased on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Almond-Blanched-Anthonys-Tested-Gluten-Free/dp/B00IDLV6OM/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=anthony%27s+almond+flour&qid=1617376562&sr=8-3
I really like this brand because it is very affordable compared to other brands of the same quality and is gluten-free and keto friendly.
Maggi Jugo seasoning sauce is this magical ingredient that will add depth and umami to the sauce. You don’t need much because it is highly concentrated. But I really love this stuff. You can usually find it in the ethnic food section of your grocery store or on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Maggi-Jugo-Seasoning-Sauce-3-38/dp/B01N24W70T/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=maggi+jugo&qid=1617376767&sr=8-1
Swedish Meatballs and Cauli Mashers
Equipment
- heavy bottomed pan
- sheet pan
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup pork rinds crushed
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1/4 onion shredded
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- cooking spray
For the Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp almond flour finely ground
- 1 cup chicken or beef stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp maggi jugo seasoning sauce
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
For the Cauli Mashers
- 1/2 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat. Something fun you can do is add a cube of chicken bullion to give the cauliflower some added flavor. If you do that, don't put in any additional salt. Boil for about 12 minutes or until a fork easily slides into a piece of cauliflower
For the Meatballs
- While the cauliflower is boiling, make the meatballs.Combine all ingredients except for cooking spray to a large mixing bowl. We are shredding the onion so that it melts into the meatballs. I used a simple grater to achieve this. Mix ingredients together well but be careful not to overmix. The Worcestershire will add a lot of salt so that is why we are not adding in more. Roll into little two inch balls.Spray a lined sheet pan with cooking spray. I like to use avocado oil but olive oil is also great. Carefully add the meatballs to the pan. We are roasting the meatballs because they are little and we don't want them to fall apart if they were cooked in a skillet. Roast for 15 minutes. These will cook fast since they are smaller and they don't have to be well done as we will be cooking them a bit more in the sauce. Remove them from the oven and set aside.
For the Sauce
- While the meatballs are roasting, heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat.. Add butter and allow to melt. Once bubbly, add almond flour and whisk, cooking for a few minutes to let the raw flour taste cook out. Add the beef stock and cook for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down to low and add the heavy cream, continuing to whisk. Add the jugo, mustard and salt and pepper. I like a lot of pepper so I kinda when crazy with my pepper grinder. But you do you. Allow the sauce to reduce to about half. It is important at this stage to taste your sauce. The flavors will intensify as it reduces so don't add too much salt. The jugo is already salty. Once it thickens up, add the meatballs into the pan along with any resting juices. Softly stir, coating the meatballs in that lovely sauce. Turn off the heat. The meatballs will cook a bit more in the sauce.
For the Cauli Mashers
- Drain the cauliflower and return to the pot. Smash with a potato masher. The warm pot will help the process. Add the butter and heavy cream and continue mashing until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to create a puree. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and stir. Taste. Decide if you want more butter or seasonings. If it is a little thick, add a splash of cream to help loosen it up.
- Serve the meatballs over the mashers and spoon lots and lots of sauce over the top! You can finish the dish with some chopped chives or parsley and grated parm cheese. Then, try not to eat the entire pan of meatballs. But if you do, I totally understand.