Swedish Meatballs in a Stroganoff sauce

Happy January. I hope that the new year is treating you well. This month I am sharing a family favorite with you—Swedish Meatballs in Stroganoff Sauce. This month, I share two recipes in one meal, but if you don't have time to make your meatballs, a bag of frozen meatballs works wonderfully.

First, we will start with the meatballs.

You will need:

• 1 pound ground beef

• ½ cup bread crumbs

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons grated onion

• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• salt to taste

Follow these directions:

• Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

• Step 2: Mix ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, black pepper, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl; form into small balls.

• Step 3: Line baking sheet/cookie pan with parchment paper. Arrange balls on a baking sheet leaving a small gap between each ball—Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Flip meatballs and continue baking until cooked through 12 to 15 minutes. If you are using a thermometer, 160* is the intended internal temperature.

• Step 4: Slice package of mushrooms. I use baby portabellas.

• Step 5: Remove meatballs from the baking sheet, and place them directly into a crockpot. Set crockpot on low.

• Step 6: Place sliced mushrooms on top of meatballs. Place lip on the crockpot.

Next, we make the sauce. You will need:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided.

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 1 cup beef stock (preferably unsalted or low sodium and room temperature. If it's refrigerated, it will cool the butter and flour and not thicken correctly.)

• 1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick

• 3 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature

• Garnish: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Follow these directions, remembering to double or triple depending on the number of people eating.

Step One: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Step two: Blend in the flour and cook, continually stirring with a whisk, for 2 minutes.

Step three: Gradually pour in the room temperature beef broth, stirring and cooking until thickened and smooth.

Step four:

1. Stir the sour cream into the sauce and heat through, but do not boil.

2. Once the sour cream is mixed in well. It should be a light brown, almost whitish color, pour the sauce over meatballs and mushrooms.

3. Allow simmering until mushrooms are desired texture.

4. Serve with rice or egg noodles.