Swedish Turkey Meatballs with Apple

Votes: 1

Time: 2 hours.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

These mouth-watering meatballs in a spicy gravy are a perfect idea for a cozy Sunday dinner at home. Although they're made with lean ground turkey, the grated apple makes them juicy, tender, and full of flavor. Besides the apples, the meatballs also include pumpernickel bread soaked in milk and shallots. The meatballs are first baked in the oven until golden brown, then simmered in a light white gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh herbs.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Meatballs

3 cups pumpernickel, torn into pieces
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
6 small shallots, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
A pinch of ground cinnamon
0.6 kg lean ground turkey
1 large egg

Gravy

2 tbsp. flour
1.5 cups lightly salted chicken broth
1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley and/or chives, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: rye bread, milk, Worcestershire sauce, butter, shallots, apples, garlic, cinnamon, ground turkey, eggs, flour, bouillon, parsley, chives

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Prepare the meatballs:

Process the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and process to form a paste.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the apple, garlic, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper and cook until the apple is soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bread mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

Add the ground turkey and egg to the same bowl and mix with a mixer on low speed until well combined, about 4 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Wet your hands and form the meatballs into 36 balls (about 1 inch each). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the gravy:

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir until smooth, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, then add the Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes, sprinkled with parsley and/or chives.