Norwegian Meatballs (kjottkaker)

Back to school for the kids this week.  It's time for some Norwegian soul food, so I made Norwegian Meatballs. The recipe given here tells you how to make gravy, which you must have, however I learned a secret from my mother-in-law--freeze your leftover gravy from a pot roast, then deglase the pan  after browning the meatballs and add the frozen gravy to the pan, return the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or so.

Norwegian Meatballs (Kjottkakker)

1 T butter

1 medium onion, minced

1 & 1/2 lb ground beef

3 slices white bread

1/3 c milk

1 egg

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t allspice

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Melt butter in a frying pan. Cook onions in butter until clear.  Soak bread in milk.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Form meat into balls about the size of a golf ball.  Melt about 1 T. butter in pan, brown meatballs on all sides.  Remove from pan.

Gravy

1/4 c flour

2 1/2 c beef stock

Cook flour in pan, (add additional fat if necessary).  Add the beef stock.  Cook until thickened.

OR

Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of water.  Add 2 cups of left over beef gravy that you have in the freezer.

Return meatballs to the gravy and cook for 20-40 minutes.  Serve meatballs with mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam.  (Cranberry sauce is a good substitute if you can't find lingonberry jam).

Enjoy!

Great Deals under $50 at Cooking.com!