One-Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta

It still comes as a bit of a shock when I get an email from Brent with a recipe to try. Jill? Sure. She's been cooking and baking since she was a little girl. But while Brent lived at home, the kitchen wasn't on his radar. I tried to get him to choose 4-H foods and nutrition for a project. Nope, he wasn't interested.

These days, though, he's the one getting supper on the table at his house.

Wait. No, he's not getting "supper" on the table. He's whipping up "dinner." Our two children have become city folk. They eat "lunch" and "dinner" ... well, unless they are here on the County Line. Then they eat "dinner" and "supper," though Brent has been known to "argue" with me about the semantics.

Whether for "dinner" or "supper" or "lunch," Brent was right:  This easy one-pot meal is a keeper. I had thawed hamburger in the fridge. So I threw the recipe together Tuesday morning after helping move cattle and had it ready to go quickly and easily. I served it with a green salad, and it was an easy meal after a busy morning.

The meatballs have less moisture than my regular recipe. But the denser quality keeps them together while you're stirring the sauce and noodles, I think.

We can all use something that's quick and easy during this busy time of year, right?!

One-Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta

Adapted from Tasty Recipes

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 onion, finely minced
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 cups beef broth (or hot water and bouillon)
2 cups milk
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
4 cups egg noodles
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley (or about 2 tbsp. dried)
Additional salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, salt and pepper; mix until evenly combined.

Heat the canola oil in a pot or large skillet over medium-high Take golf-ball-sized portions of the meatball mixture and roll it into balls. (I used a cookie scoop.) Place the meatballs into the heated skillet, cooking about 1 minute. Flip the meatballs and brown on all sides.

Add the beef broth, milk and worcestershire sauce and stir. Bring the liquid to a boil. Add the egg noodles. Stir several times while the pasta is cooking and the liquid is reducing to a sauce that coats the noodles, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Add the Parmesan and parsley, stirring until the cheese melts. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and parsley to serve, if desired.

Note: I didn't have fresh parsley, so I used dried. I sprinkled a little more on top for color for the photos.