Copycat IKEA Swedish Meatballs and Roasted Asparagus

So I have to admit, I've never actually had IKEA's meatballs. My husband has and he wasn't a fan so I decided to make this copycat recipe. According to him, these were much better and I enjoyed them as well.

The best part though was the asparagus. Goodness gracious the asparagus was to die for. I absolutely love roasted vegetables and have tried roasting asparagus before, but this was the best recipe I've ever tried. Delicious!

Copycat IKEA Swedish Meatballs

Adapted from Food Network

For the meatballs:

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup minced white onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/4 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten

Vegetable oil, for brushing

For the gravy:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lingonberry jam, for serving (optional)

Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.

Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish; serve with lingonberry jam, if desired.

Roasted Asparagus

Slightly Adapted from Ina Garten

1 bunch fresh asparagus

olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

grated parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, until tender but still crisp.

3. Sprinkle grated parmesan over top of asparagus and serve warm.