Festive Meat Balls

These slow-cooker festive meatballs draw from the Swedish meatball tradition: beef bound with bread crumbs and evaporated milk, warmed with allspice, and finished in a creamy sour cream gravy. The twist here is the deviled ham mixed into the beef, which contributes both salt and a subtle pork-spiced flavor that elevates this from regular meatball territory.

The slow cooker keeps the meatballs tender over the long, gentle cook (no risk of drying them out at high heat), while the flour slurry stirred in at the end thickens the cooking juices into a proper Scandinavian-style gravy. Stirring the sour cream in OFF the heat is essential. Cooking sour cream causes it to break and curdle. The result is a velvety, tangy sauce that coats each meatball.

Pro Tips

• Use leftover diced cooked ham if you can’t find deviled ham (or pulse a few slices in the food processor with a teaspoon of mustard).
• Form the meatballs slightly larger than you might think. They shrink as they cook.
• Brown the meatballs in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker if you want deeper flavor. It’s not in the recipe but it’s a worthwhile upgrade.
• Serve over wide egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or with toothpicks as an appetizer.

Variations

• Substitute ground pork or a beef-pork blend for richer, more authentic Swedish meatballs.
• Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire or a splash of dry sherry to the gravy for extra depth.
• Swap dill for fresh chopped parsley for a less Scandinavian profile.