I remember when I was younger, my parents lived near an IKEA. When they would go shopping for household items, after the shopping we would grab dinner… specifically those meatball plates. Perfect bite size meatballs covered in gravy and paired with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. The perfect meal! I always remembered the lines being long, but somehow, they seemed to go by fast. And while we don’t live near IKEA anymore (and even the thought of going there can give someone a headache), the one thing I miss dearly are the meatball plates. So, I came up a recipe that would satisfy my IKEA meatball plate craving. This recipe makes a generous number of meatballs so any leftover meatballs I don’t use I typically freeze for a future meal. This recipe can be combined as a meal prep option as well! I hope you are obsessed with this as much as me! A true winter classic meal that gets me through the colder months.

about 30 meatballs / 15 mins prep / 45 mins total time

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb (454 g) mixed ground meat, I use a combination of ground pork, beef and veal

½ cup bread crumbs

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp pumpkin spice

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Gravy

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1½ cups beef broth

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp raspberry jam (I know crazy, but trust me it’s a must)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, add the meat, bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, pumpkin spice, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until well incorporated.

Roll into small meatballs, about 2 tablespoons for one meatball. Place meatballs in a casserole dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked through.

To make the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk for about a minute or until the flour is golden brown.

Slowly add the beef broth, pouring a bit at a time. Continue to whisk until the gravy is smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard and raspberry jam. If the gravy is too thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.

Serve meatballs over mashed potatoes and pour a bit of gravy on top. Add a side salad to complete the meal and enjoy!