Low Calorie Swedish Meatballs ~The Kitchen Witch~ Comfort Food Classics

Riddle me this Bat people, what is it about Autumn that makes me want to put on a feed bag, fill it with mashed potatoes, and cover the entire mess with gravy? Every. Single. Year. Hand to God - around the same time I begin thinking about boots and sweaters - except neither look very good when your ass is full of cream sauce.

No matter, I'm two weeks away from running my second 8 k road race, and one day away from getting my first (mid-life) tattoo -  in other words, ain't no way I'm going back on the butter any time soon.

But what's a devoted Kitchen Witch to do when seasonal delicacies like Chicken Pot Pie, Salisbury Steak, and Swedish Meatballs mockingly call out "Eat Me, Eat Me, Eat Me," as I munch rice cakes and drink lemon water?

                   If you answered "Come up with an incredibly delicious recipe that is lower in fat and calories than the standard fare," then DING DING DING DING DING!!!! You win the prize because that's exactly what I did - today with a recipe for Swedish Meatballs that will have you licking the plate and asking for more!

Don't believe me? Well come on over to the Kitchen Witch cottage and let me change your mind! Pour a glass of wine and we'll cook these together - and maybe share a laugh or two while we're at it. If you like what you see, head over to the printable recipe and make yourself a copy.

Printable recipe: Low Calorie Swedish Meatballs




Ingredients

• 1 cup (125 ml) whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated white or yellow onion

• 1 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey thigh meat
• 1 egg, beaten 

• 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice 

• 1/2 tsp each coarse sea salt and black pepper
• 8 sliced button mushrooms
• 1 tsp crushed garlic 
• 1 bundle of fresh sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and thyme
• 2  cups (250 ml) plus 1/4 cup no sodium chicken stock
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup (120 ml) low fat sour cream
• black pepper

Directions

1. Mix he ground turkey, grated onion, egg, bread crumbs, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper together and then form into small balls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high, reduce heat to medium and then add the meatballs to the pan, 6 at a time. Continue to saute until golden for two minutes, moving them around the pan constantly to keep them from sticking.Remove to a plate.
3. Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pan and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom.
4. Add the mushrooms and continue to saute until tender and golden and there's no more moisture in the pan.
5. Add the garlic and stir fry 30 seconds. Add the remaining chicken stock, parsley bundle, grated lemon zest.
6. Bring that to the boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes letting the gravy reduce slightly. 
7. Add the sour cream and stir until it' well incorporated, bring to the boil and let simmer stirring constantly for 1 minute. Serve drizzled with the sauce with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. 

About Lyndsay the Kitchen Witch

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel where she puts out three new cooking videos each week.