Bjarne's Norwegian Meatballs

Both of my parents are Norwegian. Growing up, my mom used to make these meatballs. Later in life, my dad took over the meal prep and he became a great cook. My mom did a good job, but my dad perfected the recipe. I think of him every time I make these Norwegian meatballs now.

Prep Time:

45 mins

Cook Time:

40 mins

Additional Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 30 mins

Servings:

Jump to Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

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Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings

Meatballs:

¾ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 large eggs
1 large onion, grated
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons minced garlic (Optional)
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
3 pounds 85% lean ground beef

Gravy:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups beef broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 dash cayenne pepper
1 dash white pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a jelly roll pan.
Combine bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, ginger, salt, nutmeg, garlic, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Let stand until bread crumbs absorb milk, about 5 minutes. Stir until just mixed and add ground beef. Mix until well blended. Shape mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned, about 18 minutes. Set meatballs aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Slowly add broth; cook and stir gravy until smooth and thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Blend in cream, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
Gently stir cooked meatballs into gravy and heat through, but do not boil, about 5 minutes more.

Cook’s Note

You can make your own bread crumbs by using 7 slices of white bread with the crusts removed.

You can use margarine in place of butter.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

351	Calories
22g	Fat
10g	Carbs
26g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 351
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g	28%
Saturated Fat 10g	51%
Cholesterol 132mg	44%
Sodium 1004mg	44%
Total Carbohydrate 10g	4%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 26g	52%
Vitamin C 1mg	2%
Calcium 58mg	4%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 400mg	9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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