Mom’s Swedish Meatballs

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground veal

1/4 pound ground pork

(Or buy pre-ground meatloaf mix. Also Sometimes she leaves out the veal because that makes it tougher)

1 and 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (use Tuscan or mancinis bread and tear it apart, no crust)

1 cup light cream (you can use coffee cream)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter

1 egg

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt

Dash pepper

dash ground ginger

dash ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

Gravy

Have meats ground together twice. Soak bread in cream about 5 minutes(mash it up so it’s smushy).

Mix meats, crumb mixture,onion, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, ginger, and nutmeg.

Beat 5 minutes at medium speed on electric mixer until well combined. Mom mixes it by hand.

Shape into 1 and 1/2 inch balls (mixture will be soft- for easier shaping, wet hands or chill mixture first)

Brown meatballs in 2 tablespoons butter. Remove from skillet.

For gravy:

Melt 2-3 Tablespoons butter in skillet with drippings. Stir in 3 Heaping Tablespoons all-purpose flour.

Add 2 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups boiling water and 3/4  teaspoon instant coffee powder. Cook and stir till gravy thickens and bubbles. Add meatballs. Cover; cook slowly on medium low about 30 minutes; baste occasionally.

Makes 30 balls. Serve with rice or noodles !