Better Than IKEA’s; One Skillet, Easy To Make Swedish Meatballs

Every so often you stumble upon a recipe that turns out so good it ends up becoming a family favorite. This is one of those meals that I came across years and years ago and it’s been in my regular rotation ever since. It comes together in a snap and gets the whole family to the table. It smells heavenly as it cooks and I guarantee it will draw your kids out of their rooms and into the kitchen asking what’s for dinner.

This is what I consider one of my pantry meals. I try to keep all the ingredients on hand, so when I haven’t had time to go to the grocery store I know I have this meal in my arsenal ready to go when I need it. It’s the perfect tasty meal when you need a good home cooked meal in a hurry.

Start by melting half the the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add frozen meatballs to the pan, turn them frequently as they cook to brown them evenly on all sides. No need to thaw them first or to cook them very long, the meatballs from Trader Joes are fully cooked. You are just browning the outsides to add some extra flavor to the dish.

Note: If you’re feeling ambitious you could definitely make your own meatballs from scratch but the Italian style frozen meatballs from Trader Joes are delicious and a huge time saver. If you decide to make your own meatballs brown them until they are cooked all the way through.

Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate and keep them warm. 

Add the remaining butter and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Be sure to scrape up all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan, there’s a whole lot of flavor in those browned bits.

Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.

Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard to the pan. Stir to combine.

Add the beef broth, beef consommé, and a soup can of water.

Add a can of (drained) sliced mushrooms.

Add the seasonings; garlic powder and pepper.

Stir to combine everything together.

Add noodles and return the browned meatballs to the pan.

Bring sauce to a boil and then cover pan.

Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the noodles are cooked to desired doneness, stirring occasionally to prevent noodles from sticking or burning.

Mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 cup water and pour it into the pan.

Let everything simmer, uncovered, for a few more minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Taste for seasoning; adding extra salt and pepper if needed. You may not need to add any salt since the beef broth and consommé contain a fair amount of salt.

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or chives if desired.

You can have dinner on the table in about a half an hour from start to finish. It tastes like you spent hours cooking, but you don’t need to let anyone know how easy it was to make.

Serve with your favorite vegetable, I keep it simple and make corn, a family favorite. Or toss together a fresh leafy green salad to round out the meal. An easy to make meal like this calls for an equally easy to make, delicious salad to go along with it. Give my Favorite Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad a try. It’s refreshingly tangy and you’ll love how very quick and easy it is to make! It pairs perfectly with this savory skillet meal.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try. Once you make this meal and see just how easy it is to prepare, I’m willing to bet that it will become one of your family’s favorites too. Trust me, your family is going to love how good it tastes! This meal is what I call a winner, winner meatball dinner ☺️ Enjoy!

This post was originally published June 2020 and republished with updated photos, recipe notes, and new content April 2023.

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And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

Colossians 3:17

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