May 9, 2018 3 min read

I try really hard to keep my meals simple. It gives me more time to do other things (and maintains my sanity).

Occasionally, though, a dish comes along that takes more time than I’d like to make but is well worth the effort.

Mock Swedish meatballs definitely fit that bill. They take some time — mostly prep work — but the end result is amazing.

When we changed up our diet, 10-year-old Josie’s number one request was to find a way to make Swedish meatballs. She loves them. I Googled and tinkered, piecing different methods and ingredients together until I found the one that worked for me.

Everyone who’s had it has loved it. The recipe below is sufficient for 4-5 servings, depending on how much you like to eat. I made a triple batch a couple of weeks ago that was gone in two days.

These have truly become one of our favorite meals. I hope you and your family consider giving them a try and enjoy them just as much.

Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs

1 pound portabella mushrooms, cleaned and finely minced

1 onion, minced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 can chickpeas, mashed

¼ cup nutritional yeast

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

3-4 sprigs fresh dill, minced

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons dark soy

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt/pepper

1-2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (how much you use just depends on how wet the mushrooms are)

Sautee the mushrooms until they are cooked and softened. Add in the onion and garlic, and cook through. The mushrooms and onions will let off water, so cook off as much as you can. Season everything with salt and pepper. Drain off excess liquid that remains.

Let that cool while you mash up the chickpeas (I use a food processor to do this quickly). Add the mushroom mix to the chickpeas and add the rest of the ingredients, starting with 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Mix it up and see if it’ll make balls that hold together. Mix in more breadcrumbs as needed.

Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes, but be warned, the baking time can be unpredictable. Sometimes they’re done in 25 minutes; sometimes it’s more like 45 minutes. I bake them on silicone baking mats, but if you don’t have those, I highly recommend parchment paper. Otherwise, they’ll stick to the pan no matter how well you grease it. Mid way thru, pull them out and flip them. If they come up easy, they’re ready to flip, if they are still sticking to the sheet, put them back in for another 5 minutes or so.

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups vegetable broth

¼ cup fresh parsley, minced

2-3 sprigs of fresh dill, minced

¼ cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon nutmeg

3-4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt/pepper

Melt the butter, whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the broth and Worcestershire, and keep whisking till it comes up to a simmer so you don’t have lumps. Add in the cream and nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. After the sauce thickens up, stir in the herbs. Toss in the balls to coat. I like the sauce more sour, so I usually end up adding additional Worcestershire sauce.