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A classic comfort food, Crockpot Express Swedish Meatballs is an easy one pot dinner!
One of the benefits of my large and active Facebook group, Crockpot Express Community, is the fantastic recipes that members share. Recently, a member posted this recipe for Crockpot Express Swedish Meatballs, and I asked if I could post it here on the website because it’s SO GOOD! Thank you, Vanessa Casares!
Can I use frozen meatballs instead?
I’m all for quick and easy meals, so often I post recipes using shortcuts like frozen meatballs. And yes, you certainly CAN use frozen meatballs for this recipe. However, making them from scratch isn’t hard, and the flavor is just so much better overall. Give it a try, at least!
If you’re going to use frozen meatballs, simply skip the first steps and go straight to adding the broth and noodles to the pot.
There’s a lot of flavor that comes from searing the meatballs. You get the benefit of all those juices and bits of cooked meat on the bottom of the pot. I had a friend test this in an Instant Pot as well (hence the stainless steel pot in the photo) but it’s even easier to scrape off the bottom when using the CPE!
After deglazing the pot, you add the noodles and broth for pressure cooking. Then the final step is adding all the creamy ingredients that give Swedish Meatballs their unique and yummy flavor. Everything is done right there in the same pot, making Crockpot Express Swedish Meatballs a perfect weeknight dinner.
What should I serve with Crockpot Express Swedish Meatballs?
Who needs IKEA when you can make this bowl of goodness at home? Serve with some crusty bread and a big green salad for a delicious meal. If you’re hoping for a more creative side dish, check out this post with 50 Side Dish Ideas.
Crockpot Express Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground turkey or beef
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 onion grated
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Sauce
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 3 cups egg noodles
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the meatball ingredients together and form into small balls (should make 18-20 meatballs)
- Press Brown/Sauté (and then Start/Stop) and melt 2 tbsp of butter. Place half the meatballs in the pot and brown nicely on each side. Place on a plate and cook the other half. When those are done remove and place on a plate. Press Start/Stop to cancel the sauté mode.
- Using some of the broth, deglaze the pot and scrape up any burnt bits. Stir in the parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Place the meatballs back in the pot followed by the noodles. Pour the remaining broth and place the remaining 2 tbsp of butter in small pieces on top.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the steam release valve to closed. Press Steam and set for 4 minutes (high pressure) and press Start/Stop. When the cooking cycle is done, do a quick release.
- While that is cooking, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together. Open lid, press Start/Stop to turn off Keep Warm mode and switch back to Brown/Sauté. Pour in the cream and whisked corn starch, add the sour cream and stir. Once the sauce has thickened you’re ready to eat!
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later! I have an entire page dedicated to more great Crockpot Express Recipes if you’re looking for new ideas.
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Elena Amos says
Hi!
I made this lovely dinner tonight and it was delicious!
It’s only my third time using the CPE and I had to improvise a bit.
I wanted to use GF tagliatelle instead but wasn’t sure how many grams to use (any advice?). 3 cups seemed not enough so I weighed about 210g. Not all pasta was cooked after 4 minutes so I added more broth and did another 3 minutes. Luckily it turned out amazing but I was wondering if you could help me adjust the recipe so I get it right the first time next time I make it again? 🙂
Also, it says to mix in salt but there is no specific amount mentioned for the sauce.
And it says 2tbsp butter. They are then used for the meatballs but later it says to use the remaining 2tbsp butter and put on top in small pieces. Is it 4tbsp in total then?
Sorry, I’m probably just overlooking or misunderstanding something 🙂
In any case: thank you so much for that wonderful recipe!!
Elena
Nicole Burkholder says
You are correct to be confused! There are a couple typos or at least unclear directions in the recipe card. The sauce should say 1/4 tsp salt AND pepper and somehow only the pepper got added. Typically, I add salt/pepper to taste, but so it’s not always exact, but I try to at least have the directions in there correctly. Sorry about that! The butter is another unclear thing. It’s mentioned earlier in the post, but I don’t make it clear in the recipe card. The butter for browning the meatballs is whatever you need (about 2 tbsp) and then the other 2 tbsp are for the sauce. But calling it the “remaining butter” certainly muddied up the directions. I’ll be updating the post right now to clarify a few things! Thanks for pointing that out.
As for the pasta, I can’t really give you a great answer there, because I don’t have experience with GF pasta. The only thing I do know is that it cooks quite differently from regular pasta. And egg noodles (which the recipe calls for) are even different from typical pasta. You WOULD need more liquid for cooking pasta vs egg noodles, so your instincts were right there. Just keep track of what changed you made for next time! 🙂
Elena Amos says
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply 🙂
Marti says
I made this tonight for a husband who has been sick and very finicky. It was delicious and I think a great company recipe! I used beef and made your meatball recipe also. A keeper for sure!!
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m so glad you (and he) liked it! 🙂 I hope he’s feeling better now!
Deb says
I made this for the first time last night and it was excellent. We all thoroughly enjoyed this recipe.
Annette says
Are the noodles fresh or dried? I have a few packets of dried egg noodles in my pantry, should I cook them first or add them in as they are?
Nicole Burkholder says
The noodles are dried. Just open the bag and toss them in there-no need to cook them first. 🙂
Eri says
If using frozen meatballs, the CPE won’t be heated up sowhat setting should it be set on and how long should it take to heat up? This is my first time using my CPE.
Nicole Burkholder says
Sorry about the delayed response-I’ve been out sick. You don’t need to adjust anything-it will just take a little longer for the pot to preheat when using frozen foods.