swedish meatball fondue

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

When your slow cooker destroys your meatballs, you make fondue.

Here’s what happened…

I was going to a friend’s birthday party, and I needed to bring a dish for the potluck.  I wanted to bring something substantial and hearty, but I also needed something that could be made ahead since I was going to be away from home the majority of the day.

I have seen recipes for meatballs made in the slow cooker, so I decided to try that cooking method on one of my own recipes – Swedish Meatballs.

In a bowl, I combined 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup of soft bread crumbs.  Important note - if you are using pre-packaged bread crumbs, mix 3/4 cup crumbs with 1/4 cup water to get 1 cup of softened bread crumbs.

I crumpled 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef over the top and then used my hands to mix it all together.

I formed small amounts of the meat mixture into meatballs…

…and then I placed them in my slow cooker.

Now, here’s where I think things went wrong.

I debated and debated…do I use my tried and true 3 1/2 quart slow cooker?  Or do I use my brand new, never-been-tested 6 quart slow cooker?

I probably should have used the larger one.  Using the smaller one meant that I had to stack my meatballs on top of one another (most likely the reason that they lost their meatball shape in the end).  But, I was concerned about leaving a brand new appliance to cook for me while I spent the day away from home.  I need to get to know my new slow cooker…I need to see how evenly it heats…I need to see how long it takes to cook my dishes…I need to see whether it will burn the bottom of my food…we need to become friends.

And, as cute as it is, it’s not my friend yet.

So I went with the smaller slow cooker.

I mixed a few tablespoons of melted butter with one cup of beef broth and poured it over the meatballs.  Then I cooked them on low for 7 hours.

After the seven hours, I mixed 3 tablespoons of flour, 1 cup of fat-free half and half, 1/2 teaspoon dill seed, and a bit of salt (to taste) in a separate bowl.

I poured my half and half mixture over the meatballs and stirred.

And then things fell apart.

My meatballs were no longer meatballs.  I basically had a Swedish sauce with a crumbled meat mixture mixed in.

Sigh.

I went ahead and treated my dish as if the meatballs were still intact.  I put the lid on, turned it on high, and let it thicken for about 10-15 minutes.

I admit, I was hoping that my meatballs would magically rejoin while the sauce was thickening.

They didn’t.

At this point, it was 15 minutes until the party, and I had no back-up dish.  So, I decided to salvage the one I had.  I added the rest of my can of beef broth, stirred it up, and decided to call it fondue. 

Luckily for me, someone just happened to bring bread to the potluck…perfect for dipping! 

People ate it…the birthday girl complimented it...and word on the street is that it was quite tasty.

Who cares that we didn’t actually have a fondue pot?


Swedish Meatball Fondue
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 t. salt (plus more to taste)
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 1b. ground beef
1 can beef broth, divided
3 T. butter, melted
3 T. flour
1 cup fat-free half and half
1/2 t. dill seed

Combine egg whites, milk, bread crumbs, onion, 1 t. salt, nutmeg, pepper, and ground beef.  Mix thoroughly and crumble into a 3-4 quart slow cooker.  In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup beef broth and melted butter; pour over meat.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low 7-8 hours.

Combine flour, half and half, dill seed, the rest of the beef broth, and salt to taste.  Pour over cooked meatballs and stir.  Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 10-15 minutes, or until sauce thickens.  Serve with cubed bread.  Serves 15.

Nutrition (calculated with skim milk, 90/10 beef, and Smart Balance margarine): 144 cal, 6g fat, 2g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 29mg cholesterol, 347mg sodium, 10g carbs, 0g fiber, 2g sugars, 11g protein, 3% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 5% calcium, 9% iron.

This recipe is linked to This Week's Cravings: Super Bowl!