When I was a kid, one of my absolute favorite things about visiting our summer cottage in Sweden was the prospect of Swedish meatballs. Not just any Swedish meatballs, but a specific brand. We would always stop on the way to the house to get provisions at the local grocery store chain, and I remember running down the aisles to find the meatballs. My mother would cook them on a frying pan until they were quite dark, but not really burned. She would use lots of butter (where we use olive oil), and we would all sit and munch on meatballs and mashed potatoes while the house warmed up. Good times!
So, it was with great surprise I found one day these very same meatballs were being sold in the local Ikea in San Diego. What are the odds! Celebrating my Swedish childhood, I decided to create a Swamerican (Swedish-American) sandwich. I still prefer the meatballs without condiments – just by themselves, but as sandwiches come, this wasn’t half bad at all !
Meatball Sandwich Recipe
- 1 half demi-baguette
- 4 Swedish meatballs (from Ikea)
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 slices of cheese
(we used præstost, Swedish cheese from Ikea, another childhood favorite) - 4 tbs pizza sauce with fennel
If the meatballs are frozen, thaw them in a microwave for about 45 seconds. Heat the olive oil on a non-stick pan, and fry the meatballs on medium-high heat until they turn dark. We like them beyond golden, but of course you could stop sooner if that is what you like.
On the baguette, spread 3 tbs pizza sauce. Lay out the two slices of cheese to cover most of the sauce, and place 4 still hot meatballs on top. Place small pieces of cheese on top of the meatballs. Top the entire sandwich with the last tbs of pizza sauce. Toast the baguette in a toaster oven until the cheese melts and everything is nice and hot. Good food.
Note: Or make your own danish meatballs…
