Swedish Meatballs - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free - can be made dairy free

Swedish Meatballs

Many people are in a dilemma about starting a grain free, sugar free diet because their families aren't quite ready to join them.  Here's one of my recipes that can be adapted for people who aren't following a grain free or low carb diet. 

This has been my kids' favorite recipes and originally I assumed it was off my list of dinners because it has wheat in the meatballs and used canned mushroom soup.  But I have recreated it without those ingredients.

1 portion meatballs - around 25 meatballs or around 1/3 of the entire recipe from here:

1/2 onion, cut into slices/strips

2 t butter or olive oil

1 C chicken broth - either homemade or in a carton or can or reconstituted bouillon

1/2 t xanthan gum

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C sour cream - if dairy free, use dairy free sour cream substitute - it works well in this recipe.

1-2 zucchini per person who is not grain free (if making this grain free for the entire recipe, use 5-6 zucchini)

1/2 C dried egg noodles per person who is not grain free

Make meatballs from the recipe here:

Instead of boiling the meatballs, once they are formed, bake them in the oven at 350, turning occasionally until cooked through.  This will make a large enough batch for 3-4 family sized dinners, so freeze the leftovers.  If you are making dairy free, skip the Parmesan cheese.

If you are making this for people who are not grain free also, use egg noodles and as they boil, just stick your zucchini noodles in a steamer on top of the boiling noodles - yours can cook right along with theirs and will actually finish first.

To make the egg noodle substitute, peel 1-2 zucchini, then using the peeler, keep peeling off egg noodle sized strips.  Place them in a steamer basket or a metal colander over the top of the regular egg noodles as they boil.

Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil or butter.  As soon as it browns, add chicken broth and xanthan gum.  Stir until the xanthan gum is completely incorporated.  Add meatballs and salt and pepper the broth to taste.  Bring to a boil, covered.  Once boiling, uncover and continue cooking until gravy thickens.  Add sour cream and serve.  Pictured below is just before adding sour cream.

 Calories (using zucchini) - around 150, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber.

For those of you who are curious, adding 1 C cooked regular egg noodles, adds around 200 calories.  That may convince a few family members to eat the wheat free version instead :)