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Although everyone has their own ideas about what makes great comfort food, the wonderful combination of meatballs and potatoes often tops the list. This creamy meatball stew recipe makes a great meal after a tiring day at work and it’s equally ideal for a chilly evening. The meatballs are juicy and flavored with herbs and spices, while the creamy gravy smothering the creamy homemade meatballs and potatoes is heavenly. For a pop of color, there are also green peas on the plate.

A pan of creamy meatball stew with potatoes, garnished with green peas and fresh herbs, sits atop a woven mat next to cutlery and a spoonful of sour cream.

Treat your tastebuds to a creamy meatball stew. This Swedish meatball dish is easy to prepare and it’s been a staple in many households for years because it’s so delicious.

Also try meatball marinara subs, poor man’s stew, roasted tomato meatball polenta, or Italian wedding soup.

A skillet filled with a creamy meatball stew, potatoes, peas, and sauce, garnished with herbs and a dollop of cream, placed on a woven mat.

Why You’ll Love It

Really delicious: You aren’t going to forget to eat this tasty dish in a hurry. Everything from the succulent meatballs to the velvety gravy and green peas has such a wonderful flavor.
Easy to prepare: The recipe is a simple one to make. You shape and bake the meatballs, boil the potatoes, prepare the gravy, and then combine everything.
Crowd-pleasing comfort food: Sometimes you just want comfort food and that means meaty flavors, creamy dishes, or anything that brings back nostalgic warm memories and tastes good. This creamy meatball soup or stew definitely fits the bill.

Close-up of a creamy meatball stew with green peas and a luscious gravy, garnished with dill and sour cream.

Swedish Meatball Stew Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Ground meat: I like to use half beef and half pork but you can use whatever you prefer. If you’re using sausage, you will need to adjust the seasonings you add because it might already be seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe other spices or seasonings too.
Panko breadcrumbs: These help hold the meatballs together. Substitute regular breadcrumbs if you want.
Parmesan cheese: To add more flavor to the meatballs.
Egg: This also helps with the meatball consistency.
Seasonings: The meatballs are flavored with garlic, fresh parsley, allspice, and nutmeg.
Beef broth: This is the basis of the gravy. Sub chicken broth if you prefer.
Cream: You need heavy cream to make the gravy rich and creamy, and sour cream (or you can use creme fraiche) too.
Peas: To add a pop of color to the plate. Feel free to sub broccoli or green beans. Carrots would work too.
Potatoes: Choose baby potatoes. If you only have larger ones, chop them up first. There’s no need to peel the potatoes unless you want to.

Top view of various cooking ingredients laid out on a wooden surface, including ground meats, potatoes, peas, parsley, milk, breadcrumbs, spices, butter, onions, cream for a delicious Swedish meatball stew.

How to Make Meatball Stew

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Preheat oven: First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Make the meatballs: Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use a 2-tablespoon scoop to make the meatballs.
Cook the meatballs: Arrange the meatballs on a greased foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, then keep warm.
Make the gravy: While the meatballs are cooking, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over a medium-high flame and stir in the flour. Cook for a minute and then whisk in the broth, cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dill.
Add the potatoes: Add them to the gravy mixture and cover the pan, then gently simmer for 20 minutes or until tender, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
Add the meatballs: Mix the cooked meatballs into the gravy.
The finishing touches: Serve the meatballs and potatoes in bowls, adding a spoonful of hot cooked peas and some sour cream. Garnish with dill and parsley (which is more than a pretty garnish).

A spoon holding a serving of  Swedish meatball and potato stew with peas, and potatoes topped with green garnish hovers over a pan filled with the same delicious dish.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (here) in place of the regular ones that are made with wheat.
Tweak the meatball seasonings: You might like to use other seasonings in your meatballs. Anything from red or white pepper to cumin or Italian seasoning works.
Make a low carb version: Swap the panko breadcrumbs for panko pig (basically, ground fried pork rinds!) and the potatoes for a lower-carb vegetable like turnip or radishes.

Overhead view of a table setting with a plate and pot of Swedish meatball stew, potatoes, peas, and a dollop of sour cream. A bowl of peas, cutlery, and fresh herbs are also present.

Serving Suggestions

Appetizers: Kick off your comfort food style meal with a burrata caprese salad or pizza sliders. They’re both easy recipes too.
Side dishes:
If peas aren’t your thing, you might prefer to have mushroom focaccia or sweet potato gnocchi with your creamy meatball soup. You could serve the stew on top of mashed potatoes or even polenta for a different presentation.
Dessert: Finish this tasty meal with raspberry truffles or one of these chocolate desserts.

A meatball stew of tender meatballs in a luscious sauce with peas, potatoes, and fresh herbs, garnished with a dollop of sour cream.

How to Store Leftover Meatball Stew

Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost the frozen meatballs and potatoes in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Warm it back up in a pan on the stove or in the microwave.

A bowl of Swedish meatballs topped with creamy gravy, peas, and a dollop of sour cream garnished with dill.

Top Tips

Grilled version: You might like to cook the meatballs on the grill or in the smoker. They will take about 12 minutes on the grill or about half an hour in a smoker at 250 degrees F.
Perfect potatoes: Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces so you don’t end up with some still raw while some are cooked. If you’re using baby potatoes, you can cook these whole, of course, perhaps halving any that are especially large.
Experiment: Feel free to have fun experimenting with the recipe, adding more ingredients to the meatballs and the gravy. You might like to add onions to the gravy or throw a finely chopped handful of parsley into the meatball mixture instead of just a couple of tablespoons. Other fresh herbs can work too, such as oregano or basil. Or sprinkle in some garlic salt.

A skillet filled with creamy meatball soup, featuring tender potatoes, peas, and a rich sauce, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and fresh herbs. Additional peas and sour cream are in bowls beside it.

Meatball Soup Recipe FAQs

What kind of meat is best for this creamy meatball stew?

You can use a combination of ground beef and pork or just use one or the other. Perhaps you’d prefer to use ground chicken or turkey, in which case sub chicken broth for the beef broth in the gravy.

Can you make it vegetarian?

You can swap the ground meat for your favorite vegetarian protein and the beef broth for vegetable broth if you want a veggie version.

What else is good to serve with it?

Because the gravy is so delicious you won’t want to miss a single drop, which is why a slice of crusty bread is a good side. You can use it to mop up every last delicious drop!

Can you make this in a crockpot?

For a slow cooker version, cook the meatballs and gravy and then transfer into your slow cooker with the potatoes. Cover and cook on a high heat for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours, or until the potatoes are done.

A bowl of meatball soup or stew with peas and potato chunks, garnished with herbs and a dollop of cream.

Swedish Meatball Stew Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Creamy Meatball Stew

Treat your taste buds to a creamy meatball stew. This Swedish meatball dish is easy to prepare and it's been a staple in many households for years because it's so delicious.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

For the Meatballs:

  • 1 Pound ground beef
  • 1 Pound ground pork
  • ½ Cup onions, finely chopped
  • ½ Cup panko breadcrumbs
  • ¼ Cup milk
  • ¼ Cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ Teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ Teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Gravy:

Optional Garnish:

  • dill, Chopped fresh
  • parsley, Chopped fresh

Instructions 

For the Meatballs:

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil and spray with nonstick spray.
  • Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and scoop 2-tablespoon portions of the mixture to form meatballs.
  • Place on the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes until cooked through. Keep warm until ready to add to the gravy.

For the Gravy:

  • Melt the butter in a large pan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
  • Whisk in the beef broth, heavy cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and dill.
  • Add the potatoes and place a lid on the pan. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the gravy from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the meatballs to the gravy.
  • Serve plates of the meatballs and potatoes with a heaping tablespoon of peas, some sour cream and (if liked) a sprinkle of fresh dill and/or parsley.

Notes

Grilled version: You might like to cook the meatballs on the grill or in the smoker. They will take about 12 minutes on the grill or about half an hour in a smoker at 250 degrees F.
Perfect potatoes: Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces so you don’t end up with some still raw while some are cooked. If you’re using baby potatoes, you can cook these whole of course, perhaps halving any that are especially large.
Experiment: Feel free to have fun experimenting with the recipe, adding more ingredients to the meatballs and to the gravy. You might like to add onions to the gravy or throw a finely chopped handful parsley into the meatball mixture instead of just a couple of tablespoons. Other fresh herbs can work too, such as oregano or basil. Or sprinkle in some garlic salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 802kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 1311mg | Potassium: 1376mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1071IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 5mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Meal time is going to be extra-delicious when you treat your family (and your tastebuds) to this creamy meatball soup or stew (it’s kind of like a stoup – half stew and half soup!) The meatballs are soft and juicy, perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices, while the gravy is rich and creamy. And then the green peas finish the dish off beautifully. All the ingredients are easy to find and the recipe itself is a breeze to cook. Make extra because you’ll want more!

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Definitely want to make it again; it was that good, and no leftovers. My kids were licking their plates, LOL.