Swedish meatballs aren't Swedish—IKEA's 1985 cafeteria version uses cream of mushroom soup, which horrifies actual Swedes.
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Dive into a cozy bowl of Crockpot Swedish Meatballs, where tender beef and pork meatballs simmer in a creamy, savory sauce that’s irresistibly good! With just a handful of ingredients like rich beef broth and zesty Worcestershire sauce, you’ll have a comforting weeknight meal ready to impress. Let your slow cooker do the work while you kick back and enjoy the delightful aroma filling your kitchen!
Prep
15
min
Cook
360
min
Serves
6
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This Americanized Swedish meatball hybrid emerged in 1970s Midwest kitchens when Swedish immigrants' köttbullar met Campbell's soup convenience culture—trading traditional cream sauce and lingonberries for Campbell's mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce created a slow-cooker comfort food that would make Stockholm's grandmothers simultaneously weep and secretly ask for the recipe.
Regional Twist
In Minnesota's Twin Cities, Scandinavian descendants swap the beef broth for venison stock and double the Dijon mustard, creating a sharper bite that cuts through the cream.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 10 oz (283 g) cream of mushroom soup
- 12 oz (340 g) egg noodles
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ground meatd garlic
- 26 oz (737 g) meatballs
- 1 tsp (5 ml) parsley flakes
- ½ cup (118 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) steak sauce
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 2 cups (473 ml) beef broth
- dijon mustard (to taste)
- onion (to taste)
- onion powder (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- worcestershire sauce (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add your frozen meatballs to a crockpot.
- 2
Next, add cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Steak sauce, and Dijon mustard.
- 3
Season everything with salt, pepper, parsley, onion powder, and minced garlic in a slow cooker.
- 4
Add a small chopped onion and stir everything together well.
- 5
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- 6
After 4-6 hours, boil 12 oz of egg noodles according to the directions on the package.
- 7
Add sour cream and 12 oz of cooked egg noodles to the crockpot and stir well.
- 8
Top with dried parsley and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Thaw frozen meatballs for 30 minutes before adding to prevent temperature shock that drops the crockpot below 140°F food safety zone for extended periods.timing30 minutes thaw time
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of beef broth to cream of mushroom soup to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick and gluey during the long cooking process.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Add sour cream only in the final 15 minutes of cooking because dairy proteins coagulate at 180°F, causing the sauce to curdle during extended slow cooking.timing15 minutes final addition
- ✓Cook egg noodles to 1-2 minutes under package directions before adding to crockpot since they'll continue cooking in the hot sauce and absorb liquid, preventing mushiness.technique1-2 minutes under
- ✓Bloom dried spices (onion powder, parsley) in 2 tablespoons of hot broth for 30 seconds before adding to rehydrate and intensify their flavors in the slow-cooking environment.technique30 seconds bloom time
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
360
min
Serves
6
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Swedish meatballs aren't Swedish—IKEA's 1985 cafeteria version uses cream of mushroom soup, which horrifies actual Swedes.
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Dive into a cozy bowl of Crockpot Swedish Meatballs, where tender beef and pork meatballs simmer in a creamy, savory sauce that’s irresistibly good! With just a handful of ingredients like rich beef broth and zesty Worcestershire sauce, you’ll have a comforting weeknight meal ready to impress. Let your slow cooker do the work while you kick back and enjoy the delightful aroma filling your kitchen!
The Story
This Americanized Swedish meatball hybrid emerged in 1970s Midwest kitchens when Swedish immigrants' köttbullar met Campbell's soup convenience culture—trading traditional cream sauce and lingonberries for Campbell's mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce created a slow-cooker comfort food that would make Stockholm's grandmothers simultaneously weep and secretly ask for the recipe.
Regional Twist
In Minnesota's Twin Cities, Scandinavian descendants swap the beef broth for venison stock and double the Dijon mustard, creating a sharper bite that cuts through the cream.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 10 oz (283 g) cream of mushroom soup
- 12 oz (340 g) egg noodles
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) ground meatd garlic
- 26 oz (737 g) meatballs
- 1 tsp (5 ml) parsley flakes
- ½ cup (118 ml) sour cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) steak sauce
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 2 cups (473 ml) beef broth
- dijon mustard (to taste)
- onion (to taste)
- onion powder (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- worcestershire sauce (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add your frozen meatballs to a crockpot.
- 2
Next, add cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Steak sauce, and Dijon mustard.
- 3
Season everything with salt, pepper, parsley, onion powder, and minced garlic in a slow cooker.
- 4
Add a small chopped onion and stir everything together well.
- 5
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- 6
After 4-6 hours, boil 12 oz of egg noodles according to the directions on the package.
- 7
Add sour cream and 12 oz of cooked egg noodles to the crockpot and stir well.
- 8
Top with dried parsley and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Thaw frozen meatballs for 30 minutes before adding to prevent temperature shock that drops the crockpot below 140°F food safety zone for extended periods.timing30 minutes thaw time
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of beef broth to cream of mushroom soup to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick and gluey during the long cooking process.ingredient2:1 ratio
- ✓Add sour cream only in the final 15 minutes of cooking because dairy proteins coagulate at 180°F, causing the sauce to curdle during extended slow cooking.timing15 minutes final addition
- ✓Cook egg noodles to 1-2 minutes under package directions before adding to crockpot since they'll continue cooking in the hot sauce and absorb liquid, preventing mushiness.technique1-2 minutes under
- ✓Bloom dried spices (onion powder, parsley) in 2 tablespoons of hot broth for 30 seconds before adding to rehydrate and intensify their flavors in the slow-cooking environment.technique30 seconds bloom time