Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

There is no doubt that winter is settling in around here.  It has been so cold for the last week that I’ve pretty much just wanted to stay home and curl up with a good book, cup of coffee and a fire in the fireplace.  And while I don’t really love snow and cold weather, I do have to admit that I’m not totally bummed about the season.  I mean, it is the season of warm and comforting bowls of soup, noodles and, of course, meatballs!  Even with all of the crazy running around we have to do to get ready for the holidays, I still prefer coming home to a nice hot meal and spending a nice cozy evening at home over the idea of grabbing a quick meal on the go.  Using the slow cooker makes it all possible, and these Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs make the perfect dinner that will have your whole family coming home for a meal around the table.

To keep my version of these meatballs simple and quick, I used my favorite shortcut method of panko breadcrumbs soaked in milk rather than homemade breadcrumbs.  This will save a ton of time and effort without sacrificing the flavor or texture of the meatballs.  Just a little sprinkle of nutmeg and allspice along with the traditional meatball mix in’s gives it that tasty Swedish Meatball flavor.  Another little trick I use here to keep it simple is using dried onions instead of fresh.  Tons of flavor, little effort!

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Roll them up into about 2 dozen ping-pong sized meatballs and brown them up in a skillet or multi-cooker with a little butter and olive oil.  Then you can let them cook for a few hours in the slow cooker while you take care of all your other “to do’s”.

Once the meatballs are done, the sauce is a cinch to whip up, just by adding a little flour, sour cream and some preserves.

But wait, meatballs were never meant to exist alone, right?  They need a partner to help them deliver all that delicious sauce.  And of course, no need to get complicated or add a lot of work here.  Just pick up a package of Reames Egg Noodles!  All the taste of homemade and the perfect compliment to these Swedish Meatballs.  In fact, I made sure this recipe includes a little extra sauce, because I love how it pairs with the noodles and wanted to make sure you didn’t miss out on one delicious bite!

So, pull up a chair and dish yourself up some cozy warm comfort food on this frosty winter’s eve!

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Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

Servings: 6

Author: Jennifer

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken or sub beef if you prefer more traditional
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon all spice
• 3 cups beef broth
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves
• 16 oz Reames Frozen Egg Noodles

Instructions

1. Add ground meat to large bowl

2. Mix together panko and half and half and let soak for 5 minutes

3. Add soaked breadcrumbs, egg, and seasonings to ground mix and use hand to mix until just combined

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil in skillet or multi-cooker

5. Form meat mixture into ping pong sized balls and place in single layer in skillet

6. Brown on each side for about 2 minutes then transfer to slow cooker

7. Add broth, cover and cook on low for about 6 hours or high for about 3

8. Heat remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in skillet

9. Whisk in flour until smooth

10. Slowly pour in broth from the slow cooker and continue to whisk

11. Add in preserves and sour cream and bring to a simmer while continuing to whisk until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes

12. Cook noodles according to package directions

13. Serve meatballs with noodles and sauce and garnished with parsley if desired

Recipe Notes

If sauce is still too thin, thicken by making a paste of 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water and whisking into sauce while it simmers

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Reames®. The opinions and text are all mine.