Garlic Turkey Swedish Meatballs

Ikea didn’t just bring us flat box furniture, they brought us Swedish meatballs. OK, they didn’t invent Swedish meatballs, just made them popular through their stores. Don’t know if you’ve tried them, they’re pretty good. Well, I’m going to be honest here, there are really only two similarities between Swedish meatballs and my garlic turkey Swedish meatballs. Firstly, they’re both totally delicious, second, they’re both about the size of a golf ball, and, they’re both served with gravy. OK, I said two things in common, sorry, I was wrong. But read on, they’re easy to make and you’ll love them.

The meatball

So, the idea of a meatball is not new. Rolling meat into a ball and cooking it has been around for millennia. The Chinese had a recipe for meatballs, that idea spread across to the Middle East and to Europe, and, of course to the Americas. Some recipes called for something the size of a softball, and some the size of a golf ball. meat varied from beef to pork to lamb, to whatever was available to the people making that particular version. Some may be fried, some baked or a combination of the two. They can be served with potatoes and vegetables, pasta or plain with a sauce. Again it’s dependent on the geographic variant.

The Swedish meatball

True Swedish meatballs are small, about 1″-1.5′ diameter, usually made with beef and pork, although sometimes veal and venison. And are traditionally served with gravy and boiled or mashed potatoes. I like meatballs served with gravy, I guess that’s the part of Ikeas’ meatballs I liked the best. So I wanted to make my own, but a little healthier, so I chose turkey as the base meat. To that I can add spices and herbs to make the flavor I want. I stayed with the small size and made them about the size of a golf ball. I won’t fry them, instead I’ll bake them, serve them with gravy over flat noodles.

The assembly

Add some seasoned breadcrumbs to the ground turkey. The reason to add breadcrumbs is that they will absorb the liquid (think flavor) from the meat as it cooks, so it stays in the meatball. Because the meatballs will be small I can’t chop my onion and garlic fine enough. The simple solution is to grate them, they’ll mix better. To that add garlic powder, it makes the garlic flavor a little deeper, some grated parmesan, it’ll give it a cheesy note. Finally, to add a little warmth, a sprinkle some ground red pepper flakes. Mix everything well, look for uniform color of the meat mixture. Now, take a small amount in the palm of your hand and make a ball. Add or take away till it’s the correct size, about the size of a golf ball. I found one of my desert spoons was able to get just the right amount.

lay them on a oven tray or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 mins, turn after 10. remember to check for doneness, 165 degrees. While they’re cooking in the oven. Cook some flat pasta, like bowties, to serve them with. Also, make some gravy. To make this easier, I just use the dry packet that you mix with water and bring to a boil, it’s fast and easy. Drain the pasta, plate, put meatballs on top, and pour over the gravy.

That’s it, garlic turkey Swedish meatballs. An easy weeknight dinner that’s a little different from the usual fare. Clean up isn’t too hard either. Thank you for reading, enjoy dinner