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Joan

Swedish Meatball Casserole

Serves 4
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Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/3 cup onion, chopped very fine
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil (not needed if baking the meatballs)
Pasta
  • 8 oz medium shell pasta
Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • **Optional - I threw in some sautéed mushrooms that I had in the fridge! It was delicious!**

Method
 

Meatballs
  1. Add the panko bread crumbs to a large bowl, set aside
  2. Spray a skillet with non stick spray.
  3. Over medium heat, saute onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stir often
  4. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  5. Turn the heat down, add the milk and bring to a simmer. Once it comes to a simmer, pour it onto the panko bread crumbs and stir to combine.. The mixture will be thick. Set aside to cool.
  6. In another large bowl, add the egg and beat. Them crumble ground beef over egg and add onion mixture. Mix well (the easiest way is to mix with your hands)
  7. Form about 16 meatballs and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
  8. Once the meatballs have chilled, heat oil in a large skillet **** see below
  9. Add the meatballs and cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes.
  10. Transfer meatballs to a dish and set aside
  11. **I baked my meatballs in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time!
Pasta
  1. Cook pasta al dente according to the package directions. When done cooking, strain and put into a 11x7 baking dish
Sauce and Assembly
  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Place the meatballs into the baking dish nestling them into the pasta
  3. In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter
  4. Add the flour, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes
  5. Stir in the beef broth, water and Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir often
  6. Reduce heat to med/low and add the parsley and half and half. Stir everything together constantly and cook it until it thickens, about 10 minutes. **At this point I added sautéed mushrooms!
  7. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and pasta.
  8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Video