One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo
One pot Swedish meatballs with orzo is the perfect combination of easy and delicious. Delicious pork meatballs cooked in a rich gravy with orzo pasta and finished with cream and Parmesan. A hugely comforting meal that's sure to be a hit with the family.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 735kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1.2 lbs (500g) ground pork or beef (mince)
- 3 shallots minced or finely chopped
- ½ cup (55g) fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp honey mustard (sweet Swedish mustard)
- 1 tsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp onion powder (or granules)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp cream if needed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or as needed
- 1 tbsp butter
You will also need
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) orzo pasta
- 2 cups (480ml) low sodium beef broth or use a stockpot/ stock cube
- 2 cups (480ml) hot water
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream heavy / double
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan plus extra, to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill to serve (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to season
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs apart from the cream into a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients, adding a splash of the cream if needed.1.2 lbs (500g) ground pork or beef, ½ cup (55g) fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp honey mustard , 1 tsp tomato paste, 1 egg, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground white pepper, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp cream, 3 shallots
- Form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop and roll them in greased hands – you will have 20-24 meatballs.
- Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and pan fry the meatballs over medium heat, gently flipping them over until they are golden. Set them aside on a plate. They don't have to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will be cooking further later.2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp butter
- Lower the heat and add the orzo to the pan, toasting it for a minute or so in the oil. Still in the beef broth and water and bring to a simmer.1 ¼ cups (250g) orzo pasta, 2 cups (480ml) low sodium beef broth, 2 cups (480ml) hot water
- Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook, gently stirring once in a while, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
- Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan. Have a taste to check whether you need to add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and parsley and serve!⅓ cup (80ml) cream, 4 tbsp grated Parmesan, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, salt and freshly ground pepper
Video
Notes
- To can make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish: simply use plant based meatballs, vegetable broth and a plant based cream alternative.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Add some cream or hot water when reheating as the orzo tends to soak up all the sauce. Please note this dish is not suitable for freezing.
- If you are using store-bought meatballs you can follow the recipe as written. You can even pan fry frozen Swedish meatballs without thawing them first.
Nutrition
Calories: 735kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 1121mg | Potassium: 840mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg
