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Beef Main Dish

Homemade Swedish Meatballs

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Homemade Swedish Meatball recipe

Last year, I shared my recipe for my take on the cream sauce that IKEA serves with its Swedish meatballs. A few weeks ago, during a trip to Memphis, I paid a visit to IKEA and ordered a plate of Swedish meatballs. When we returned home, I was inspired to come up with a recipe for homemade Swedish meatballs. (Previously, I had been using frozen meatballs.) The resulting dish was delicious.

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Homemade Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 4.5 lbs ground beef
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 4 Tbsp ground parsley
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • ¾ tsp ground pepper
  • 1 medium sized onion minced
  • ⅓ cup bread crumbs I used Panko
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1½ Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef, spices (allspice, nutmeg, ground parsley, garlic powder, and ground pepper), onion, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and eggs. I have found that using your hands (as long as you wash them thoroughly before and after) is the easiest way to combine the ingredients.
  2. Use your hands to create meatballs. The recipe makes approximately 26 medium-sized meatballs (around 1.5 inches in diameter).
  3. In a skillet with a lid, heat olive oil, and add meatballs. Cook covered until outsides are brown and centers are no longer pink, turning every few minutes. Add additional oil as needed to prevent meatballs from sticking to the pan.

  4. Serve with lingonberry jam and homemade cream sauce. (You'll find my recipe here: https://nashvillewife.com/ikea-style-swedish-meatball-meal-recipe/)

How to Grill Perfect Burgers

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Mr. Handsome is the grill master at our house. We have a very small grill that sits on our little outdoor table and uses camping-sized propane tanks, but it gets the job done (quite well, actually). Mr. Handsome has seen me film cooking videos for the blog and wanted in on the fun, so he created a grilling how-to video for you all, complete with some of his amusing, dry humor. Learn how to grill the perfect burger (and make Texas toast and green beans). Enjoy!

IKEA-Style Swedish Meatball Cream Sauce

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While we were driving into Memphis for a quick visit a few weeks ago, we passed an IKEA, and I told Mr. Handsome that we just had to go there for lunch. “Lunch at a furniture store?” he replied. “That’s like buying fresh fish from a sewage treatment pond. No one wants that.” He had clearly never had the IKEA experience.

Growing up, my brother and I loved IKEA. Whenever we were near one, we just had to stop in and order a plate of Swedish Meatballs. (We even went to an IKEA in Sweden, which was especially memorable.) We also enjoyed walking through the store and looking at all the fun gadgets….and trying to pronounce the Swedish names for everything. Some IKEA locations have cart escalators, which always added a fun twist.

Well, Mr. Handsome finally gave in to a quick stop at IKEA, and we had a blast. The Swedish meatballs with cream sauce and lingonberry jam were definitely the best part. Don’t they just look amazing (see photo above)?

For those who aren’t familiar with lingonberries, they are a Scandinavian wild berry. In the small grocery section at IKEA, there are dozens of lingonberry products for sale.

We ended up buying two items: a dishtowel for $0.79 (how can you pass that up?) and a package of frozen chicken meatballs.

The store also sells a pre-made package of cream sauce, but I decided to come up with my own recipe (see below). It was a hit! For those who don’t have an IKEA nearby, any type of fully-cooked meatballs (Swedish or regular) will do. You can also make your own meatballs. (Tap here to see my recipe.) For those who are vegetarian, IKEA sells meatless meatballs.

I am kicking myself for passing up the lingonberry jam to eat with our meatballs, but we had some red currant jam on hand that worked almost as well.
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IKEA-Style Swedish Meatball Meal

Servings 4

Ingredients

Meatball Cream Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2½ Tablespoons flour
  • ¾ cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ⅛ tsp garlic powder
  • ⅛ tsp onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sides

  • asparagus, washed with ends removed
  • olive oil and garlic salt
  • baby yellow potatoes, washed
  • 25-30 meatballs
  • 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Place asparagus on a cookie sheet or other pan. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, and sprinkle with desired amount of garlic salt. Cook 15-20 minutes at 350F. (I use my toaster oven, but you can use a regular oven.)
  2. Place potatoes in a pot with a vegetable steamer (with water underneath). If you don't have a steamer, just cook them how you normally cook your potatoes. Cook over medium heat until soft.

  3. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1-1/2 Tbsp flour. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.

  4. Add broth and half and half. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

  5. Whisk in remaining flour (1 Tbsp) and remaining ingredients (Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper).

  6. If meatballs are frozen, add them to a saucepan with 1 Tbsp melted butter, and cook (stirring every 30 seconds) over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

  7. Add meatballs to cream sauce, and cook, stirring constantly, until meatballs are covered in sauce.

Recipe Notes

To make homemade Swedish meatballs, see my recipe here: https://nashvillewife.com/homemade-swedish-meatballs/

Simple BBQ Brisket Recipe

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I absolutely love BBQ brisket. I tried it for the first time a few years ago at a restaurant called Famous Dave’s, I have been hooked ever since.

Nashville, Tennessee, has many award-winning BBQ joints that we enjoy visiting. While we were out to eat last spring, both Mr. Handsome and I agreed that it would be fun to try our hand at homemade BBQ beef brisket. 

 The meat is expensive (usually $20-$25 for 4 pounds) so we have only made it a handful of times. It takes a few hours to cook, but the prep is a cinch. Here’s the recipe, as well as a few photos of the process.

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Simple BBQ Beef Brisket

Ingredients

  • Brisket roast approximately 4 pounds
  • Several slices of uncooked bacon

Homemade BBQ sauce*

  • 1-1/2 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard optional

Instructions

  1. Remove all packaging from brisket roast. Place fat side down in an oven safe, non-glass pan that can hold juices that will accumulate. I use a 9x13-inch pan.

  2. Combine dry spices in a small bowl. Using a fork, poke holes in brisket, and rub the entire roast with spice rub.

  3. Place uncooked bacon strips over brisket, side-by-side. If you have additional bacon slices, you can also place one layer of bacon under the roast. (Bacon is expensive, so I don't usually do that.)

  4. Tightly cover pan with foil, and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours. Remove from oven, and flip brisket over so the fat side is facing up.

  5. Return to oven, covered with foil, for an additional hour. Brisket roasts can be finicky, so it helps if you have had BBQ brisket at a restaurant and have seen how it looks when it is fully cooked. The size and thickness of the brisket roast also affects cooking time.

  6. When hour is up, move from oven, and cut into brisket with a knife. Meat should be fork tender. Return to oven if necessary.

  7. Transfer to a cutting board, and slice. Serve with homemade BBQ sauce. If you find yourself with an overcooked brisket, just add extra BBQ sauce!

Recipe Notes

I use the same Homemade Honey BBQ recipe that I make with my Buffalo Wild Wings Style Wings. Here is the link to that recipe: www.nashvillewife.com/2016/02/buffalo-wild-wings-style-wings.html

Shepherd’s Pie

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A reader asked that I share my recipe (which is actually my mother-in-law’s recipe) for shepherd’s pie, one of my husband’s favorite meals. It’s quick, easy, and oh so delicious!Here are the steps with pictures, and I have also pasted the full recipe at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!

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Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 large potatoes
  • butter and milk to mash potatoes
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • seasoned salt
  • 1 small onion
  • 1½ cup frozen green beans
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • shredded cheddar cheese.

Instructions

  1. Steam or boil two large, peeled potatoes until tender. (When I'm crunched for time, I steam them in the microwave.) Remove from pot, and mash with butter and milk.

  2. Meanwhile, brown 1 pound ground beef (seasoned with seasoned salt, to taste) and sauté small onion (chopped) in a large skillet.

  3. Place 1-1/2 cups frozen green beans and 1 cup frozen corn in the bottom of an 8x8 pan.
  4. Add browned beef and sautéed onions.

  5. Add mashed potatoes, pressing firmly with spatula to ensure that ingredients don't fall off the side of the pan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

  6. Bake at 400F for approximately 20 minutes (until cheese is melted and pie is hot throughout).

Basic Beef Stew

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Ever had one of those days when all you need is a good, hearty meal? Well then I have a new recipe to share with you. This stew is delicious and chocked full of veggies. The first time I made it, I was shocked to find out that my husband had never had beef stew. Maybe it’s not as normal of a meal as I thought…
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Basic Beef Stew

Course Main Course
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 lbs beef stew meat sold in cubes
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1-1/2 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cups assorted chopped veggie Carrots, broccoli stems, green beans, celery, peas, mushrooms, etc
  • 3-4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons water Optional but makes stew thicker

Instructions

  1. Add oil to a dutch oven or regular pot, and cook meat (on the stove) until brown.
  2. Add beef stock and spices, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 45 minutes.
  3. Mix in veggies, onion, and potatoes. If you want a thicker stew, add the cornstarch dissolved in water.
  4. Cover and simmer for another 1-2 hours.

Simple Slow-Cooker Chili

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Everyone needs an easy, go-to meal for those days when life keeps you running from sunup to sundown and you barely have enough energy left to think about dinner, let alone cook it. For me, that meal is slow-cooker chili.My mother-in-law gave me a delicious recipe that takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and by the time I’m done loading it with tomatoes and zucchini, it’s healthy, too. You’re going to love it!

It takes a bit of forethought, as the chili is tastiest when cooked at least three hours, but the prep time is short enough that you can throw all the ingredients together during breakfast or lunch and then return to your busy day.

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Slow-Cooker Chili

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • Chili powder to taste
  • 1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1- 6 oz can tomato sauce
  • 2- 16 oz cans kidney beans
  • 1- 15 oz can tomato juice
  • 1 small shredded zucchini*
  • Salt to taste
  • Diced jalapeno pepper (optional)
  • Hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef, and season with chili powder. Drain grease, and add meat to slow-cooker.
  2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, tomato juice, and zucchini to slow-cooker, and stir.
  3. Stir in approximately 2 teaspoons of chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt.

  4. If you like your chili hot, add diced jalapenos and/or hot sauce. (Those are my husband's favorite ingredients.)

  5. Cook on high for at least three hours.
  6. Add additional chili powder and salt as needed.
  7. Serve with your favorite chili fixins. (We like crackers and shredded cheese.)

Recipe Notes

*A friend gave us several large, homegrown zucchinis this summer. I shredded and froze them in portions that are the right size for this recipe.

Chipotle Burritos: Part 3

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Here is the third and final part of my recipe for homemade Chipotle burritos! On Wednesday I revealed how I make the seasoned ground beef, and yesterday I shared my recipes for cilantro-lime rice, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Now it’s time to discuss corn, beans, and queso. Serve burritos with tortillas (or as a burrito salad) and tortilla chips. And don’t forget the shredded cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.
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Homemade Chipotle Burritos Part 3: Corn and Beans

Course Main Course

Ingredients

Corn

  • 2 cups corn, frozen
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Black Beans

  • 1- 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

Corn

  1. Thaw frozen corn in the microwave or on the stove.

  2. Mix in lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.

Black Beans

  1. Warm black beans in the microwave (in a bowl) or on the stove.

  2. Mix in garlic, cumin, oregano, and lime juice. Set aside.

Restaurant-Style Queso Blanco Dip

Click here to view this recipe in a previous post.

Chipotle Burritos: Part 2

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Homemade Chipotle burritoEarlier this week, I posted my recipe for the seasoned ground beef that I use to make homemade Chipotle burritos. If you’ve ever been to Chipotle, you know there are a lot of ingredients that go into one of their burritos. Today, I’ll share my recipes for cilantro-lime brown rice, pico de gallo, and guacamole (my favorite part of a burrito). Tomorrow, I’ll finish with the corn, beans, and queso dip.
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Homemade Chipotle Burritos Part 2: Rice, Pico, Guacamole

Course Main Course

Ingredients

Cilantro-Lime Rice

  • 2 cups rice, cooked (I use brown)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp minced garlic

Pico de Gallo

  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup onion, diced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Guacamole

  • 1 avacado
  • 2 tsp lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Cilantro-Lime Rice

  1. Mix olive oil, cilantro, lime juice, and garlic into the cooked rice. Cover and set aside.

Pico de Gallo

  1. Combine tomatoes, onion, and cilantro in a bowl. Set aside.

Guacamole

  1. Peel, chop, and mash 1 avocado. Mix in lime juice and salt. Set aside.

That’s farily simple, isn’t it? Making homemade Chipotle burritos isn’t rocket science, but it takes a fair bit of time and quite a few ingredients.Click here to view the third and final part of my Chipotle recipe.

Homemade Chipotle Burritos

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My husband loves Chipotle, but we don’t have one nearby. A few weeks into our marriage, I came up with the idea of attempting to make homemade Chipotle burritos. After some experimentation, I was able to prepare a burrito that made my husband’s mouth water. The recipe is long and includes several smaller recipes, which I will post throughout the rest of this week.

According to my husband, the most important part of a burrito is the meat. (Personally, I think it’s the guacamole.) We have decided that seasoned ground beef works best.

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Homemade Chipotle Burritos Part 1: Seasoned Ground Beef

Course Main Course

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 4 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 2 lb ground beef

Instructions

  1. Mix the spices in a small bowl.

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the spice mixture with 2 pounds of raw ground beef.

  3. Transfer to a skillet, and brown the meat.

Recipe Notes

If your meat is lean and doesn't release much grease, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil to prevent it from drying out. If the meat tastes bland to you, feel free to add more spices. The best part about making Chipotle burritos at home is that you can adjust the flavor to suit your taste buds.

To enhance the flavor of the meat (and make dinner preparation easier), I usually dump the meat and its grease into my crock pot and keep it on warm for an hour before serving.

Click here to view the second segment of my Chipotle recipe.