These Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs make an easy, cozy, family-friendly meal that’s on the table in less than 30 minutes. We love to serve the creamy sauce and meatballs over buttery egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
What we love about these Swedish Meatballs from Frozen Meatballs
I almost always have frozen meatballs in the freezer for meals just like this that I can throw together and have on the table in less than 30 minutes for busy nights, or when I just don’t know what to make for dinner. It is an easy, quick meal, and the ingredients for the sauce are mostly pantry ingredients.
The creamy sauce is so flavorful and absolutely delicious over the meatballs with noodles or mashed potatoes. It is a little bit of comfort food heaven and a super family-friendly meal that both kids and adults will enjoy.
Looking for other comfort food family meals? Try our Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup, our Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, our Chili and Cornbread Casserole, Cottage Pie with Cheese, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream, Cheesy Mini Meatloaves, or our Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy.
What you need to make this Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs Recipe
You will need the following ingredients:
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- Onion powder
- Salt
- Coarsely-ground pepper
- Whipping Cream
- Optional garnish: parsley
Swedish Meatballs Using Frozen Meatballs Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could use milk or half-and-half in place of the heavy whipping cream, but the sauce may not be as thick..
- You can use beef broth, or a combination of half beef broth and half chicken broth. We like this best with chicken broth.
- A different flour or cornstarch could substitute for the all-purpose flour to make the dish gluten-free.
- You can use frozen Swedish meatballs or frozen homestyle meatballs for the best flavor with the sauce. I would avoid Italian meatballs, which have seasonings that don’t complement the sauce quite as well.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a large Dutch oven or skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain, and cook, continuing to whisk for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Step 2. Slowly whisk in the cream, whisking continuously. Add the meatballs, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
Step 3. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with cooked egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Tips
- I usually cook these in a heavy Dutch oven ceramic pot or a 3.8-quart Dutch Oven braising pot. The braising pot is more shallow, and I love it. I bought both on Amazon. They both keep the heat at a steady temperature to prevent any burning, and their tight-fitting lids trap in the moisture. Use a heavy-bottomed pot if you don’t have a dutch oven.
- I recommend using frozen Swedish meatballs or Homestyle meatballs that have a mixture of beef and pork. Avoid using Italian meatballs, which have seasonings that don’t complement the sauce as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store and reheat Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs? |
| a. Cool completely, then place in a covered container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Freezing and thawing the meatballs is less desirable, as the creamy sauce may separate. b. Reheat in an oven-safe dish in a 350-degree oven, covered, for about 15 minutes or on the stovetop, covered, over medium-low heat until warm. You will need to add additional broth or cream as the sauce thickens once it has been refrigerated. Microwaving individual servings until warm in the microwave in 20-second intervals is also a possibility. |
| What to serve with Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs? |
| We love to serve the meatballs with buttered egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes on the side; we have used both and enjoy both options. You can also serve the meatballs with rice or a side of crusty bread or a roll to mop up that yummy, creamy sauce. Traditional Swedish meatballs are often served with lingonberry jam and/or pickled cucumbers. Roasted or steamed vegetables like green beans, peas, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts are great vegetable sides, or a simple side salad. |
Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs
These Easy Swedish Meatballs with Frozen Meatballs make an easy, cozy, family-friendly meal that’s on the table in less than 30 minutes. We love to serve the creamy sauce and meatballs over buttery egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
5
minutes25
minutes5
servings30
minutesIngredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup whipping cream
30 frozen meatballs
Optional garnish: 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain, and cook, continuing to whisk for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Slowly whisk in the cream, whisking continuously. Add the meatballs, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve with cooked egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Notes
- I recommend using frozen Swedish meatballs or Homestyle meatballs that have a mixture of beef and pork. Avoid using Italian meatballs, which have seasonings that don’t complement the sauce as well.
- I recommend the serving size as 5, which gives each person 6 meatballs. The serving size changes based on how many meatballs you are serving per person.
- This recipe works well with 25-35 meatballs. I don’t always count exactly 30; I just toss them in and make sure I have enough per person.
- The sauce thickens more as it sits, especially once taken off the heat. I recommend serving from the pan on the lowest heat setting to keep it warm as you serve to keep the sauce looking the most fresh and stirring occasionally if needed.
I love the idea of using frozen meatballs to make this such an easy weeknight dinner! I wouldn’t have thought about how much the seasoning in the meatballs could change the finished sauce. This meal was so comforting and a bonus that it was on the table in 30 minutes!
That makes me happy to hear! It really is a quick and easy meal my kids have always liked. I’m glad your family enjoyed it as well!
What a simplified way to make a super flavorful meal! We made this and had a great amount of leftovers to pick on throughout the week.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It really is easy and flavorful and makes great leftovers too. Thanks for your feedback!
This was incredible! The flavor was amazing and the whome family loved it
I love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe with most of the ingredients and used the crockpot on low for about 2 ½ hours. I didn’t use the butter & flour and used a cornstarch slurry at about the 2 hour mark. I did the crockpot due to me being disabled and not being able to stand for more than 2 or 3 minutes. My whole family loved it!! I will definitely be making it again!! Thanks!!
This makes me so happy to hear! I am glad you were able to make it work for your health and family needs. It’s a great idea to make this in the crockpot; thanks for sharing!
This sounds like such an easy comfort meal! Swedish meatballs with creamy sauce over mashed potatoes sounds so good.
Thank you so much! It really is an easy favorite and so good over mashed potatoes!
I was feeling a little under the weather last week and craving something super comforting. I ended up making these with some plant-based meatballs I had in the fridge — SO GOOD! Loved the tip about serving them over mashed potatoes.
I love that you were able to enjoy these subbing plant-based meatballs! Thanks for the great feedback!