Easy Swedish Meatballs (Just 5 ingredients using frozen meatballs)

This is a shortcut recipe, inspired by the classic dish, Swedish Meatballs.
This recipe is not meant to be an authentic recipe for Swedish meatballs. The flavors are inspired by the signature dish, however the cooking process is made easy.
Traditional Swedish meatballs are made from beef and pork blend and are seasoned with allspice and nutmeg. They are homemade. We're not doing all that here. You can. Totally do it if you want. But the following recipe is for a quick and easy version of this delicious dish.
Tip: If you want to add a bit more authentic flavor to this dish, make sure you use plain meatballs (not Italian meatballs) and add all allspice and nutmeg to taste. You can also make your own meatballs using my recipe and season them using allspice and nutmeg, being sure to use a half and half blend or ground pork and beef.

In fact, canned cream sauces are all pretty easy to make yourself at home but they do take extra time and not everyone has that luxury.
If you do, please check out my How to Make White Sauce page for more tips about that. You will end up consuming less sodium and you'll cut out some junk ingredients if you make your own cream sauce. That's why I try to make my own when I have time. But I don't always so don't feel bad if you don't!

I have learned there are a lot of bad frozen meatballs. My go-to brand is Sam's Choice.
You can of course absolutely make your own and I have a go-to recipe if you want to take time to do that. Get my meatball recipe here. For authentic Swedish meatballs, use a blend of pork and beef, and instead of Italian spices, use allspice and nutmeg for that true Swedish meatball flavor and texture.

It's important to use unseasoned, original meatballs for a Swedish meatball dish. Avoid using Italian-style meatballs if you can. It's not a total deal breaker, but this Swedish sauce will taste better on plain meatballs vs. seasoned ones and will be more authentic.
You can even use vegetarian "meatballs" or meatballs made with ground turkey if you're looking for a lighter option. I find that the medium to higher priced meatballs do have better flavor but in this case, the Swedish sauce will overpower the flavor of the meatballs themselves more so than meatballs with red sauce. So you don't have to worry too much about the taste of the meatballs other than checking the ingredient list and nutrition facts.

No problem. Replace cream of mushroom soup with an extra can of french onion soup plus an extra ½ cup of sour cream. Or use cream of onion or cream of beef.

If you're like me and have picky kids or grown picky eaters, you can easily make these Swedish meatballs picky-eater friendly by serving the noodles with just butter and cooking some meatballs without the gravy. No need to make two separate meals. Not that I ever do that... ?

I like to use no-yolk egg noodles. They're a little lower in fat and cholesterol than regular eggs noodles and I can't tell a difference in the taste since I like my noodles smothered in sauce anyway!

though you'd never ask. I also love mushrooms. Especially in Swedish meatballs! We are using cream of mushroom soup as a base but you can add extra fresh copped mushrooms too if you'd like.
I feel bad for people who haven't discovered their love for them but sadly, it's true. There are people who don't enjoy them so you can leave them out completely if you must. The sauce still has a lot of flavor without them.
If you think you can get away with it though, try chopping them up really tiny and adding them in. Most people that don't like mushrooms, are weirded out by the texture. So if they're tiny, sometimes you can slip them in. I won't say anything if you don't.

If you've made this Swedish meatballs with noodles recipe before and want to try some different flavor variations, try adding some cooking wine. Sherry or Marsala would be good or a dry white wine.
You could also try half and half instead of sour cream for a less tangy flavor. If you're trying to skim calories, try skim milk. It wont be as creamy of course, but it'll still be tasty!