28 October 2021

Swedish Meatball Meatloaf

Swedish Meatball Meatloaf - all the flavor of Swedish meatballs without all the fuss / www.delightfulrepast.com

When a craving for
Swedish Meatballs - Svenska Kottbullar struck during a time when it seemed too much of a faff, I worked that recipe into this Swedish Meatball Meatloaf. It gave me all the flavors I was craving, albeit without the "cuteness" of the meatballs.

It was such a doddle, I may never make the meatballs again! Of course I will, when I need that cuteness, but now I can get my Swedish meatball fix even when I need to cut a few corners. Add it to my "streamlined cooking" repertoire. You can even put it together in the morning, then pop it into the oven after work.


Swedish Meatball Meatloaf - all the flavor of Swedish meatballs without all the fuss / www.delightfulrepast.com

Of course, a meatloaf is open to all sorts of variations and substitutions. But please don't skip the allspice and dill. Without those two ingredients, it just couldn't be called Swedish Meatball Meatloaf. Even if you bake with allspice, you might feel a bit hesitant to use it in a meatloaf; but just do it. Trust me, you're going to love it.

Thank you to everyone who commented on my last post and kindly tolerated that I was unable to respond or reciprocate at that time. I'm trying to get back in the saddle now and get back to some sort of normal (awful word, isn't it?).

For those who don't eat red meat, here's my Turkey-Mushroom Meatloaf.


Swedish Meatball Meatloaf - all the flavor of Swedish meatballs without all the fuss / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Swedish Meatball Meatloaf


(Serves 6)

The Meatballs

About 4 slices (4.75 ounces/135 grams) good sourdough or white bread for 1 1/2 packed cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces/118 ml) milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork

The Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups lower sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt (you'll likely add a bit more after tasting)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream

The Garnish

Sour cream
Chopped dill, fresh or dried (NOT optional, dill MAKES Swedish Meatballs or Meatloaf!)


1 Use a food processor to make perfect fresh breadcrumbs. Cut four slices (you might need another slice or two, depending on your bread) of good sourdough or white bread into four to six pieces. You only need to remove the crust if it's coated with seeds. Process until it becomes breadcrumbs. Don't worry about overdoing it; it's pretty foolproof. You should have 1 1/2 cups,* fairly firmly packed. Add crumbs to a 4-quart mixing bowl.

* And the weight of my 1 1/2 packed cups of fresh sourdough breadcrumbs was 4.75 ounces/135 grams, so next time I will know to use that amount of the same bread so as to not have any leftover crumbs.

2 In small skillet or saucepan, heat oil and cook onion until softened, about 10 minutes. Add to crumbs in mixing bowl.

3 Add salt, pepper, allspice, milk, egg and Worcestershire sauce to bowl. Mix well. Add ground beef and ground pork, and mix well (but do not overmix). Just use your impeccably clean hand to mix, if you like.

4 Preheat oven to 400F/205C/Gas6. Line a 13x9x1-inch quarter sheet pan (or, if you don't have a quarter sheet, a 15x10x1-inch baking sheet pan) with foil or baking parchment paper (you will regret it if you don’t!). Form meatloaf mixture into a 9x5- or 10x4-inch loaf on the lined pan.

5 Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until it reaches a temperature of 165F/74C on an instant-read thermometer. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. While the meatloaf is baking, start the sauce.

6 In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, cooking and stirring to make a smooth, browned roux. Don't rush it; get the roux browned. Add beef broth and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and allspice; simmer for 10 minutes, then set aside. Ten minutes before serving, stir in cream or sour cream. Heat on low for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7 Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkling of dill. Of course, fresh dill is prettier (I used dried, which as you can see is not as photogenic, because I have no dill in the garden just now), but the dried tastes wonderful as well.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

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14 October 2021

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis / www.delightfulrepast.com

Golumpkis, or Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, is something I always make in huge quantities with a certain friend. But I recently decided I couldn't wait till the pandemic is over to do that, so I reduced the recipe to a "normal" amount.

It made enough for three dinners for two—one right away and two in the freezer. If you'd like to make my usual triple batch of Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, just hit that link. That post also tells my golumpkis "story."

Had this post standing by for when I needed a break, and this is the week; but I won't write about that. Just know that I appreciate your comments and I hope you will forgive me if I don't respond to them right away.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis / www.delightfulrepast.com

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Stuffed Cabbage Rolls - Golumpkis

(Makes 20 to 22)

The Cabbage 

1 large head cabbage

The Filling

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound lean (15% fat) ground beef
1 cup raw long-grain white rice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

The Sauce 

1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 Fill a large, deep pot with water. Bring to a boil. Core cabbage and set in hot water, one at a time if pot is not big enough for both, until leaves are pliable. Peel the softened outer leaves off and place them in a colander to drain. Return the head(s) of cabbage to the hot water until the next layer of leaves are pliable. Repeat as needed.

2 Meanwhile, in small skillet, saute chopped onion in oil until softened. Set aside to cool. In large bowl combine cooked and cooled chopped onion, ground beef, rice, eggs, salt and pepper. Mixing lightly with one impeccably clean hand is the easiest way to do it.

3 In 1-quart glass measure, stir together sauce ingredients. Pour half the sauce into a 3-quart casserole dish with glass lid or a similar baking dish or pot of that size. The depth of the particular dish I used allows two layers of golumpkis. You could also do a single layer in a 13x9x2-inch Pyrex dish and cover it with foil while baking.

4 As you work with each cabbage leaf, cut away the tough core. Cut very large outer leaves in two. Using a #30 scoop or a 1/8-cup measuring cup, place a scoop of filling on the leaf near the stem-end, fold in the sides and roll (rather like a burrito); no need to tie. Place seam-side down in pan. Toward the end, preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5.

Tip: Do all the scooping at once. Scoop mounds of filling onto a quarter sheet pan.

5 Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil if your baking dish has no lid and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F/180C/Gas4, and continue baking for 2 hours.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support.

Jean

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