Ikea...Crappy Furniture, Great Food

My husband and I went to Ikea over the weekend.  All I wanna do when I enter this store is plop myself in a Poang Chair with a huge plate of Swedish meatballs, a cinnamon bun and some Lingonberry juice and watch foreign people wander aimlessly through the neverending maze of poorly constructed tables and furniture only they can pronounce. I have a love/hate relationship with this place. We quickly go through the entire store trying to find bed slats for our Malm frame...it "fell apart" after the heart shaped pancake breakfast my husband so enjoyed. Finally, we find what we need in the huge warehouse style "self serve" area then wait in the longest line ever with our one measly item behind everyone else buying bed frames, tupperware and wicker baskets. I would really really hate standing in line so much if it weren't for the incredibly delectable smell of food wafting through the air. Spending the day at Ikea and getting lunch was one of my favorite things to do with my cousin when she lived here. Miss that. My mind is instantly distracted from the long wait still ahead and my stomach is suddenly growling.  Swedish meatballs will definitely by on the menu tonight and in my belly.

I've made them before but have used cream of mushroom soup. I no longer use many premade products, especially in cans, so my go to is usually Pinterest. The recipe I adapted below comes from two different sources; Skinnytaste and Damn Delicious. I didn't like either recipe in its entirety so I made my own.

Swedish Meatballs
Serves 3-4

1 lb ground beef (I use grass fed when I can. It's about $6 for a pound)
About 2 stalks of celery, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use Ian's Organic Panko)
2-3 cups beef broth
3/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup sour cream (or you can substitute with Greek yogurt!)
1/2 tsp allspice (original recipe called for nutmeg but I didn't have it)
1 tsp parsley (fresh is better but all I had was dried)
salt and pepper
3 TBS butter
2 TBS flour

Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Throw in your onions and celery. Cook until translucent. Add garlic and parsley. Cook for about two more minutes then set aside to cool.

In a bowl, combine beef, breadcrumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Add onion/celery mixture and form into one inch balls.

On medium high heat, in the same pan you cooked the onion, place the meatballs. Pour enough beef broth in so meatballs are halfway covered. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Once the meatballs are done, remove from the pan and set aside. There should be some broth left in the pan. With heat still on medium high, add your butter to the leftover juices. Bring to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to deglaze your pan and scrape up all the little remnants of flavor from the onions and meatballs.

When the broth and butter are incorporated, sprinkle your flour in to make a roux. Lower the heat to medium.Whisk vigorously to make a thick paste, which will be the base of your sauce. Slowly add your remaining beef broth( about a cup), still whisking to prevent lump from forming. If your sauce seems to be too watery, you can add more flour. If it is too thick, you can add more broth.  

Add the sour cream a spoonful at a time so it does not curdle. It may slightly but no worries. Add your allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Last, throw in your chopped mushrooms and a little more parsley. Let simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately over egg noodles and meatballs.  For a lower carb version, this can be served over cauliflower rice too. Leftover meatballs can be frozen!