Here’s a Swedish Meatball Noodle Bake—creamy, cozy, and great for weeknights or potlucks.
Swedish Meatball Noodle Bake
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or beef/pork mix)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, finely grated or minced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp butter or oil (for browning)
Noodles & Sauce
- 12 oz (340 g) egg noodles
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Topping (optional but recommended)
- ½–1 cup shredded mozzarella or Swiss
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Make the meatballs
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Mix breadcrumbs and milk; let soak 1 minute.
- Add egg, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and ground meat. Mix gently.
- Roll into 1-inch meatballs. Brown in butter or oil until golden (they don’t need to be fully cooked).
- Cook noodles
- Boil egg noodles in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour; cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in beef broth, then cream.
- Stir in Dijon, salt, and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
- Assemble
- In a large baking dish, combine noodles, meatballs, and sauce. Toss gently.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top if using.
- Bake
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.
- Finish & serve
- Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lingonberry jam or a simple green salad.
Tips & Variations
- Shortcut: Use frozen meatballs—just thaw first.
- Extra creamy: Add 2–3 tbsp sour cream to the sauce.
- Mushroom version: Sauté sliced mushrooms before making the sauce.
- Make ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
If you want, I can scale this for a crowd, adapt it for a slow cooker, or make it lighter.
