Svenska Kottbullar (Swedish Meatballs) #FoodieReads
When I was planning menus for our trip to visit my in-laws, I knew that I wanted to serve Swedish meatballs. My mother-in-law is half Swedish and half Portuguese, so I figured these would be appreciated. They were! I was also inspired to share this after reading Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord.
On the Page
I hadn't actually heard about this book until Jake sat down one evening and watched Arthur the King. I had never heard of the movie or the book, so after we watched the movie, I decided to read the book. The basic story: an endurance racing team from Sweden attracts a stray dog during their race and, after the grueling race is over, they take the dog - now named Arthur - back to Sweden.
The movie diverges from the book in that the movie team is American and the book team is Swedish. Also, the race only makes up about the first half of the book while the second half is dedicated to the legal and logistical steps needed to bring Arthur into Sweden.
Truth be told: the story elicits reactions from both sides - those that laud Lindnord for rescuing the dog and those who feel Lindnord took a dog from a country that didn't need a new home. I can't verify the veracity of the dog not being a stray, and I am not really a pet person, but it was a heart-warming tale of how a stray dog from Ecuador landed with a Swedish family around the world away.
On the Plate
I decided to make Swedish meatballs because the team is from Sweden. And meatballs are the food that Lindnord gave to Arthur during the race. It became Arthur's comfort food, so it's the first meal and Lindnord feeds to Arthur upon his release from the four month quarantine and entry into the household.
I served these meatballs over buttered egg noodles with sides of steamed broccoli and cucumber salad; we ended with a Beurre Noisette Kiwi Crumble for dessert.
Ingredients
serves 6
Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
½ cup Panko bread crumbs or regular breadcrumbs
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
salt and pepper
Sauce
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup flour
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Meatballs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a medium sized bowl combine breadcrumbs, dill, and spices. Pour in the cream and stir to combine. You will get a thick paste consistency. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the eggs and the meat. Use your hand to combine all of the ingredients. Roll into 18 large meatballs or 30 small meatballs, placing them on a baking sheet. Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. In the meantime make the sauce.
Sauce
In a large skillet melt butter in olive oil. Stir in the onions and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Whisk in the flour and, while continuing to whisk, pour in the broth. Cook until the gravy start to thicken. Add in the spices, then pour in the cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
When the meatballs are done baking, spoon them into the sauce. Bring the sauce to simmer and cook until desired thickness. Stir the meatballs occasionally so they are evenly coated.
Serve over buttered egg noodles or rice.
Click to see these on the September 2026 #FoodieReads Link-up.
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