Recipe Background
Swedish Meatball Bake combines tender, spiced meatballs with creamy, al dente pasta for a comforting, aromatic dish.
The Swedish Meatball Bake is a warm embrace in a casserole dish, a homely fusion of tender meatballs and creamy pasta. The aroma of browned butter and nutmeg fills your kitchen, wrapping you in a cozy, inviting scent. It's a dish that begs to be shared with family or friends, bringing everyone together around the table. This bake is all about layered comfort—the robust flavors of beef and pork melding with the slight sweetness of sautéed onions and garlic.
Taste isn't the only pleasure; the texture of each bite is worth savoring. Meatballs, firm yet yielding, play beautifully against the backdrop of al dente shell pasta. The secret lies in chilling the meatballs after forming them; this little patience allows them to hold their shape and sear to a satisfying crust as you cook.
Pouring the thick, savory sauce over the dish allows it to seep into every nook, ensuring each forkful is a delight. The creamy broth, enriched with Worcestershire sauce and heavy cream, gets absorbed into the pasta while keeping everything moist and delicious. As it bakes, the top gently crisps, offering a slight crunch that complements the rich, creamy interior. Serve it hot and listen to the contented silence as everyone digs in.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 1/4 cups plain panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 tablespoons oil
For the pasta and the sauce:
- 2 cups shell pasta
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
- Add the panko breadcrumbs to a large bowl.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the onion, 2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, the allspice, and the nutmeg and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the onion mixture and cook until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and add the milk to the onion mixture, stirring everything together, and bring it to a simmer.
- Pour the simmering onion mixture into the bowl of panko breadcrumbs and stir everything together.
- Allow the breadcrumbs mixture to cool.
- Add the eggs to a separate extra-large bowl and beat them.
- Add the ground beef, the ground pork, and the cooled breadcrumbs mixture to the beaten eggs and mix everything together.
- Form about 30 meatballs from the meat mixture.
- Chill the meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Add the meatballs to the hot oil in batches and cook until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the meatballs to a dish.
- Cook the shell pasta to al dente, according to the package directions.
- Drain the pasta and pour it into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the meatballs into the baking dish and nestle them into the pasta.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.
- Add the flour to the butter, stirring constantly, until the raw flour smell dissipates, about 2 minutes.
- Stir the beef broth, the water, the Worcestershire sauce, the remaining salt, and the remaining pepper into the butter mixture and bring it to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the parsley and the heavy cream to the broth mixture.
- Cook the broth mixture, while stirring constantly, until it has thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Carefully pour the sauce over the meatballs and the pasta.
- Bake the meatball bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve hot.
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