Grandpa's Swedish Meatballs

Grandma and grandpa's cooking will always be superior to every other type of cooking in the world. This is true for me, and I bet it is true with most of you readers. I mean, what is better than a home-cooked meal made with love by your grandparents? Most of you probably have grandmas that are known for their cooking, but my grandpa is equally as accomplished in the kitchen. This yummy swedish meatball recipe is just one of many gems I have found in the cookbooks my grandfather has passed on to me.

 

I wanted to share a recipe from my Grandpa Wohler's kitchen to honor him because he is going through a tough time right now. He was recently in the hospital with congestive heart failure and is now recovering at a nursing home. One of his favorite pastime's is cooking and I thought he would enjoy this post dedicated to him!

My grandpa is a very important person in my life, a sentiment that many of you share about your grandparents. He has taught me many things, has shown me love, and has also been the leader of our family. As a pastor for the majority of his life, he is an example of a life lived boldly for Christ. He may not be perfect, but he is always quick to share that he serves a perfect God. 

One of the many ways he served his church body was by cooking for them. He also raised chickens almost my entire childhood and sold his eggs to his congregation (one day I was even there when he announced his prices would be raised to the congregation!). His love for people is evident and he has shown this love by cooking some yummy things. This particular recipe by my grandpa was found in a church cookbook, which is arguably one of the best places to find great recipes. 

So, to my grandpa, thank you very much for; showing me love all these years, taking the time to discuss important issues, teaching me everything there is to know about chickens (particularly how to catch one), allowing me to tag along while we visited your congregation, showing me what it means shop for antiques, and most importantly, thank you for baptizing me. Our family loves you very much, Grandpa and we pray that you feel better soon!

To the readers, enjoy this recipe from my grandpa's kitchen. I made it for my husband, who gave it two thumbs up!

Here are a few notes about the recipe:

• My recipe and the recipe in the photo are slightly different, I decided to use ground turkey instead of ground pork and veal (feel free to choose your meat).
• I served this with noodles, but it would look prettier served over mashed potatoes. 
• Allow the meatballs to sit in the fridge for about an hour or two before cooking them on the stove. I did this and I think it helped the meatballs stay intact.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common." 

- Acts 2:42-44 (NIV)

GRANDPA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hr 15 mins
Yield: 5 dozen meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (I broke up regular slices of bread)
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. minced parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• dash pepper & nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 can beef broth
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp. instant coffee

Cooking Directions

1. Soak the bread crumbs in cream for 5 minutes
2. Saute onions in 1 tablespoon of butter
3. Combine bread crumbs, onions, beef, turkey, egg, minced parsley, salt, ginger, pepper and nutmeg and beat 5 minutes at medium speed with an electric mixer, then mix 8 minutes by hand
4. Form mixture into 1-inch balls
5. Brown meatballs in 2 tablespoons of butter
6. Set meatballs aside
7. For the gravy, stir flour into fat in skillet and add 3/4 can of beef broth, water and instant coffee
8. Stir until thickened over medium heat
9. Add meatballs, cover and cook slowly for about 30 minutes, basting occasionally
10. Freezes well