Swedish Meatballs & Mashed Potatoes

I love Swedish meatballs, but I don't love how long it takes to make them from scratch.  So...I have come up with a few shortcuts so it can be made in a hurry - in about 20 minutes, start to finish!  I know that Swedish meatballs are sometimes served over noodles, but my personal preference is to serve them over mashed potatoes.  

I used to make mashed potatoes from scratch because I am a mashed potato snob.  Once in a while I have been at an event where "mashed potatoes" were served that tasted like garbage - the texture was soupy, and the flavor just didn't taste right with all of the weird chemicals in them.  I have always made my mashed potatoes by boiling REAL potatoes, and I could totally tell the difference.  Fast forward a few years, and my life has just gotten busier and busier, to the point where I don't usually have time to boil potatoes.  I have found a compromise that I am pretty happy with - Thrive Life mashed potatoes.  What makes these potatoes different is the ingredient list.  While other instant mashed potato flakes have a LONG list of ingredients that you can't pronounce, thus making them taste weird...Thrive Life mashed potatoes have ONE ingredient: potatoes.  These potatoes work fabulous and only take a minute to whip up (literally!!), then you add your own butter and seasoning, and they taste good!  It really does make a difference!  

So, without further ado, here's my cheater 20-minute version of Swedish Meatballs:

Swedish Meatballs & Mashed potatoes

Serves 4

Meatball sauce:

2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup Espagnole sauce (beef gravy mix)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
12 oz. frozen meatballs

Mashed potatoes:

3 cups water
3 cups mashed potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. Chef's Choice seasoning

Sauce cooking directions:

In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter.  Whisk in the flour and Espagnole sauce, then SLOWLY whisk in the water until there are no lumps.  Once sauce is smooth, add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer until meatballs are heated through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the mashed potatoes:

Heat 3 cups water to boiling.  Whisk in mashed potatoes until smooth, then stir in butter and seasoning.  Add additional seasoning to taste if desired.

Serve Swedish meatball sauce on top of mashed potatoes, and enjoy!!  Let me know how this recipe turns out for you!!

 

Please be kind!  I spent hours working on this recipe to share with you.  If you’re going to share the recipe with others, please credit the recipe to me, by linking back to my blog. Don’t present this recipe as something you created yourself.  Thanks!