No need to buy your Swedish meatballs from a furniture store

In Sweden, meatballs are called kottbullar (which is now the first and only Swedish word I know), and they usually are made with ground beef or a mix of ground beef, pork and sometimes veal, and they are finished in a sauce of broth and cream.

While there are other Northern European meatball recipes that combine a gravy of sorts with meatballs, I think it's safe to say that most people (hand raised!) will associate these meatballs with Sweden (and Ikea) above all.

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk, breadcrumbs, allspice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Heat the same saucepan over medium-high, add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil.

Add the bay leaf, cream and broth, then bring to a simmer.

Nutrition information per 6 meatballs: 170 calories; 110 calories from fat (65 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 190 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 11 g protein.