IKEA Swedish Meatballs: Knock-Off Recipe

This post may make you feel differently about me, but I have to come out and say it - I l.o.v.e. IKEA Swedish meatballs.  Yes, I love IKEA, but the meatballs really put the experience over the edge for me.

I decided I wanted to try to recreate the IKEA meatballs experience at home and I think I came pretty darn close!  The gravy is out of this world, so that is what I really tried to focus on with this recipe.  If you think meatballs and gravy for dinner is totally weird you can stop reading right now (I won't be offended), but if you love these savory little meatballs like I do, I highly suggest you try this recipe!

IKEA Swedish Meatballs

"A Knock-Off Recipe"

Ingredients:

1 bag party-size meatballs (I bought mine from Trader Joe's)

1 box beef stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter 

2 tablespoons flour

Olive oil (just a little for starting the meatballs)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional side dishes:

Mashed potatoes (recipe here)

Sauteed spinach with garlic

Directions:

Drizzle a little olive oil into your saute pan and set on medium heat.  Saute frozen meatballs for 7-9 minutes.  You want to brown the outside of the meatballs.  Once outside of meatballs are browned, remove from pan and set aside.

Next add butter and flour to saute pan.  Cook flour for 2-3 minutes.  Then whisk in 3/4 of a box of beef stock into your pan.  Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of your saute pan.  Whisk to incorporate all of the flour and butter mixture into the stock.  Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and salt and pepper, to taste.  Turn up heat to medium-high.  Bring gravy to boil and reduce to a simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes or until gravy reaches desired consistency.

While gravy is cooking, microwave (I know, totally strange) your meatballs so they are cooked through.  Do this according to package directions.

Once meatballs are cooked, return them to the saute pan and coat with gravy.

Serve meatballs with mashed potatoes (make sure to put gravy on those too!) and sauteed garlic spinach.  If you really want to be like IKEA add a little cranberry sauce (they use lingonberry sauce, but I'm not sure where you find that).  

 This is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that shouts comfort food.  

Perfect for winter!