Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (2024)

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14.05

2.34

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The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

Swedish Meatball Casserole will surely please the whole family. It’s an easy dish that you can make ahead of time.

This recipe costs approximately $14.05 to make. The recipe makes six servings for about $2.34 per serving.

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (1)

We love making this casserole for dinner on busy weeknights. Preparing the meal takes about fifteen minutes and less than an hour to cook.

This dish is a classic comfort meal that is both filling and satisfying. You’ll love this fun twist on a favorite dish.

We use frozen meatballs in this Swedish Meatball Casserole to save time with the preparation. You’ll enjoy being able to serve a flavorful, savory, delicious meal that is easy to make any night of the week.

What You’ll Love About Swedish Meatball Casserole

  • Time-Saving: This easy meal will save you time in the kitchen. You can make the casserole earlier in the day and then bake it later in the day before dinner.
  • Comfort Food: Casseroles are known for being serious comfort food, and this Swedish Meatball Casserole is no exception.
  • Simple Preparation: This meal only takes about fifteen minutes to make. Perfect for throwing together when you have lots of other things going on and do not have much time to spend in the kitchen.

Ingredients & Estimated Cost:

Recipe Cost: $14.05

Per Serving: $2.34

  • 8 oz wide egg noodles – $1.15
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter – $0.28
  • ½ cup diced onion – $0.23
  • 1 cup button mushrooms – $0.86
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour – $0.02
  • 2 ½ cups beef broth – $1.06
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce – $0.14
  • ½ cup sour cream – $0.57
  • ½ cup heavy cream – $0.75
  • 26 oz package frozen meatballs – $8.99

The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in September 2023.

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (2)

How To Make Swedish Meatball Casserole

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

  1. First, cook the noodles to al dente, drain the water, and then set the noodles aside.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.
  3. Next, melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the onions and mushrooms for about three to five minutes.
  4. Make a roux by whisking in the flour and cooking for one minute.
  5. Slowly whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and heat to simmer. Cook until it has thickened.
  6. Then, remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Mix the noodles, sauce, and meatballs. Add it to the prepared baking dish.
  8. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes.
  9. Finally, garnish with parsley and serve.
Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (3)

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

  • Cheese:Add shredded Swiss or Gruyère to the casserole for extra creaminess and flavor. Sprinkle it on top for the last 10 minutes of baking.
  • Protein Substitutions:Instead of traditional beef meatballs, consider using ground turkey, chicken, or a vegetarian meatball substitute.
  • Cream Substitutes:If you want a lighter version, you can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt and use a lower-fat milk alternative, like almond or skim milk, instead of heavy cream.
  • Gluten-Free:To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free egg noodles and replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch for thickening the sauce.
  • Breadcrumbs:If you prefer a crunchy topping, sprinkle some breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter on top of the casserole before baking.

Serving and Storage Tips

To serve:

  • Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
  • You can keep the casserole out for no more than two hours before it needs to be covered and stored.

To store:

  • Store Swedish meatball casserole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.

To freeze:

  • Freeze Swedish meatball casserole for up to 3 months.
  • Let the casserole cool completely before freezing.
  • Wrap the casserole tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil.
  • Label and freeze.

To thaw:

  • Place the frozen casserole in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

To reheat:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  • Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated.
Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (4)

Swedish Meatball Casserole Recipe FAQs

What is Swedish meatball sauce made of?

Our sauce is made of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, heavy cream, and sour cream. It makes a creamy gravy sauce that soaks into the noodles perfectly.

What do you eat Swedish meatballs with?

We love to make our Caesar Salad Kit Hack without Anchovies and some Easy Garlic Bread to serve alongside this Swedish Meatball Casserole recipe.

Get Kids Involved

Ages 2-3: Have your little one help gather the ingredients and items needed for making this casserole. They can begin learning how things work in the kitchen.

Ages 4-5: Ask your child to mix the ingredients before assembling the casserole.

Ages 6-8: Teach your child to whisk in the flour to make the roux. Learning to make a roux will be a valuable skill to master.

Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.

Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Budget Tips

A casserole is a cost-effective meal to make to feed your family. You can have a delicious, crowd-pleasing meal for less than fifteen dollars.

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (5)

More Main Dish Recipes

  • Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
  • Chicken Noodle Casserole
  • Chicken Stuffing Casserole
  • Taco Rice Casserole
  • Ham and Noodle Casserole
  • Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
  • Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole
  • Green Chile Enchilada Casserole
  • Pizza Casserole
  • Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole

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Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (6)

Swedish Meatball Casserole

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (7) Recipe Cost 14.05

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (8) Serving Cost 2.34

Author An Easy Budget Recipes Original!

Course main dish

Cuisine American

Swedish Meatball Casserole will surely please the whole family. It’s an easy dish that you can make ahead of time.

Servings: 6 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Equipment

  • saucepan

  • Measuring cups and spoons

  • whisk

  • mixing spoon

  • 13×9-inch baking dish

  • cutting board

  • chef's knife

Ingredients

  • 8 oz uncooked wide egg noodles
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ cup finely diced onion
  • 1 cup button mushrooms sliced thinly
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups beef broth
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 26 oz package of frozen meatballs thawed or homemade

GARNISH:

  • fresh chopped parsley

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

COOK NOODLES:

  • Cook noodles to al dente, drain, and set aside.

PREP OVEN AND PAN:

  • Move the oven rack to the middle position.

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  • Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

MAKE SAUCE:

  • Melt butter in a saucepan.

  • Add onions and mushrooms and cook until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

  • Whisk in flour to make a roux and cook for 1 minute.

  • Gradually whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and heat to simmer. Cook until thickened.

  • Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream and sour cream.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

  • Mix noodles, sauce, and meatballs and add to the prepared baking dish.

  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and thickened.

SERVE:

  • Serve with parsley if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 664mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 564IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg

Love this recipe?Follow @EasyBudgetRecipes or tag #EasyBudgetRecipes!

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Comments

  1. Beth says

    Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (9)
    I can’t tell you how much I love this. I always say that if you can turn something into a casserole you should. Love it!

    Reply

  2. Deb says

    Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (10)
    Loved it. I made it vegan with meatless meatballs and used non dairy cheese and cream. Was sooo good.

    Reply

  3. Justine says

    Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (11)
    This is total comfort food! Easy to make and absolutely delicious – can’t wait to have it again!

    Reply

  4. Ali says

    Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (12)
    Loved this swedish meatball casserole!! It was the comfort food I was craving. The leftovers will be perfect for lunches this week.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Swedish Meatball Casserole: A Comforting Twist On A Classic - Easy Budget Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

What is the difference between Swedish and Norwegian meatballs? ›

Norwegian recipes are made with all beef, while some Swedish recipes also use pork. Norwegian meatballs tend to be larger and flatter than their Swedish cousins.

What's the difference between Swedish meatballs and American meatballs? ›

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

Why is my Swedish meatball sauce not thickening? ›

How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce. The all-purpose flour in this recipe should do the trick to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the right consistency. But if it doesn't, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken it up.

How do you keep Swedish meatballs from falling apart? ›

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

What do Swedish people eat with meatballs? ›

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

What is unique about Swedish meatballs? ›

Meatballs are as quintessentially Swedish as it gets. In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs ('köttbullar') are made of ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

Why are Ikea Swedish meatballs so good? ›

They're made with all-natural ingredients

The Ikea website lists the ingredients of their meatballs (which Ikea calls ALLEMANSRÄTTEN), and the rundown is surprisingly simple: Meat (a combination of pork and beef, for texture, flavor, and juiciness), onion, breadcrumbs, egg, water, salt, and pepper.

Are Swedish meatballs pink inside? ›

Form meatball mixture into 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized balls and cook in batches until the outsides are evenly browned, approximately 5 minutes. The meatballs will still be pink inside. Transfer to a baking dish when browned and add more butter to the skillet as needed to cook all of the batches of meatballs.

What is a good side dish for Swedish meatballs? ›

Substantial Sides

Mashed potatoes are a classic choice and are perfect for sopping up every last drop of the delicious sauce. You could also serve the meatballs with simple boiled potatoes tossed with butter and maybe a handful of chopped fresh herbs. Buttered egg noodles are an easy and effortless alternative as well.

How do you make Gordon Ramsey Swedish meatballs? ›

Swedish Meatballs Recipe: Dump an 8 oz can of cream of mushroom soup, 14.5 oz can of beef broth, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a packet of onion soup mix & a large bag of meatballs into your crockpot. Cook on low 5-6 hrs OR high 3-4 hours. When meatballs are done cooking, add 16 oz of sour cream and mix.

What starch goes with Swedish meatballs? ›

Mashed Potatoes - The creamy gravy on Swedish Meatballs is perfect with potatoes! Egg Noodles - Spaghetti isn't a bad idea either.

What is Ikea meatball gravy made of? ›

Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

Do Swedish meatballs contain sour cream? ›

It's All About the Sauce

Flavored with nutmeg and cardamom, these little beef-and-pork meatballs are best served with a Swedish meatball sauce—a rich roux-based and beef stock gravy, spiked with sour cream and a little lingonberry jelly.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

Swedish Meatballs also tend to use spices like allspice and nutmeg for flavoring where Italian meatballs rely more on parmesan and garlic flavoring.

References

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