Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs are surprisingly easy to prepare and are jam-packed full of incredible flavor the whole family will love!
Hey, y'all! Welcome to my latest series on the blog; Make Ahead Mondays! Let me tell you, meal planning and meal prepping has been a game changer for me. Recently, our family grew from a family of 2 to a family of 5 when our latest group of foster children joined us.
Before, when it was just the two of us, I'd meal plan- meaning I'd sit down on the weekends and figure out what meals I was going to prepare throughout the week. I'd jot down a grocery list and head to the store to stock up for the week. Now that we're moms to a 5-year-old and 1 1/2-year-old twin boys, I had to switch over to meal prepping. Meal prepping, for me, means planning out our menu, grocery shopping, and then spending a couple of hours 1 day a week whipping up all of our meals for the week and tossing them into the freezer until we're ready to use them. Ya'll, I have so much more time on my hands doing things this way AND there's a hell of a lot less dishes.
Throughout this series, I'm going to share with you the recipes I use to on these meal prep days. Hang on tight, your life is about to get so much easier! This week, I'm highlighting my Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs.
Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs are so incredibly easy to prepare. Simply toss all of the ingredients into the crock pot and let the machine do it's magic. The end result is full of flavor! Enjoy it with your favorite vegetables.
Tips for Making Freezer Crock Pot Meals:
- Keep an eye on your grocery stores sale flyers and stock up on meat when it's on sale.
- Print off recipes your family likes so you don't have to hunt them down or create a special Pinterest board with all of your favorite freezer meals.
- Label each Ziploc bag with the name of the meal, simple directions and cooking time.
- Make sure you have all of the essentials before you get started- bag holders, gallon size bags, quart size bags, permanent markers, bag holders, and slow cooker liners are great to have on hand.
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tbsp milk
4 beef bouillon cubes
3 cups water
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
t tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
8 - 10 oz pasta
To Enjoy Now:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion powder, pepper, salt, egg, bread crumbs, and 2 tbsp milk. Mix well with your hands and form into small balls.
2. Place meatballs in the bottom of the crock pot.
3. Top the meatballs with bouillon cubes, water, allspice, nutmeg, and Worcestershire sauce.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.
5. Remove the sauce from the crock pot and place it into a sauce pan. Add flour and whisk.
6. Slowly add the milk. Once the sauce begins to bubble and thicken, stir.
7. Add the sauce back into the crock pot. Allow to cook for an additional 20 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
9. Stir the cooked pasta and sour cream into the crock pot until well incorporated.
To Enjoy Later (as a freezer meal):
1. Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with the meals name, directions and cook time. Set aside for step 3.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, onion powder, pepper, salt, egg, bread crumbs, and 2 tbsp milk. Mix well with your hands and form into small balls.
3. Place the meatballs into a new gallon size bag.
4. Add bouillon cubes, water, allspice, nutmeg, and Worcestershire sauce into a third gallon size bag.
5. Place the meatball bag and the sauce bag inside the labeled bag. Freeze.
6. Thaw overnight or for 24 hours.
7. Add the meatballs to the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the sauce on top of the meatballs. Cook on low for 8 hours.
8. Remove the sauce from the crock pot and place it into a sauce pan. Add flour and whisk.
9. Slowly add the milk. Once the sauce begins to bubble and thicken, stir.
10. Add the sauce back into the crock pot. Allow to cook for an additional 20 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
12. Stir the cooked pasta and sour cream into the crock pot until well incorporated.
Be sure to save this yummy pin for later! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, easy to make recipes. You can also subscribe to the blog to have the recipes delivered straight to your inbox. See you next time!
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