Crockpot Swedish Meatballs

Name: Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Nordic
Ingredients: 3 lbs. lean ground beef; 2 cups quick oats; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 packet (1 oz.) Lipton Onion Soup Mix; 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk; 1 medium onion, minced; 2 cans (10.5 oz. each) cream of celery soup; 2 cups whole milk; 1 packet (1 oz.) Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Recipe GLPR0c90a42232589d

Nordic

Main Course

45 min

1397 cal

Servings: 5

Slow Cooker

Oven

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

Tender, savory meatballs cooked in a rich and creamy sauce infused with onion and celery flavors. These Nordic-inspired meatballs are comfort food at its finest, perfect for feeding a crowd. The combination of ground beef, oats, and evaporated milk creates incredibly moist meatballs, while the slow cooker allows the flavors to meld beautifully over hours of gentle simmering.

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Ingredients

3 lbs. lean ground beef

2 cups quick oats

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 packet (1 oz.) Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

1 medium onion, minced

2 cans (10.5 oz. each) cream of celery soup

2 cups whole milk

1 packet (1 oz.) Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the lean ground beef, quick oats, eggs, salt, black pepper, one packet of onion soup mix, evaporated milk, and minced onion. Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until just combined—do not overwork the mixture or the meatballs will become tough. Using a cookie scoop or by hand, form the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the meatballs on all sides, turning occasionally, until the exterior is nicely browned—approximately 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Alternatively, you may bake the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes until browned and cooked through (ground beef must reach 160°F internally).
Transfer the cooked meatballs to your crockpot.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the two cans of cream of celery soup and two cups of whole milk until smooth. Add more milk if a thinner sauce is desired.
Whisk the remaining packet of onion soup mix into the cream sauce until fully incorporated and no lumps remain.
Pour the cream sauce over the meatballs in the crockpot, stirring gently to coat. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve warm.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.5

The stated 45 minutes is misleading: shaping and browning the meatballs takes at least 20-25 minutes of hands-on work before the crockpot ever turns on, making the real total time closer to 6-7 hours if you count the slow-cook cycle. Ingredient availability is excellent—ground beef, oats, eggs, onion soup mix, and canned soups are staples at every Charlotte chain—and the cost per serving lands around $1.50-$1.80 thanks to affordable proteins and pantry staples. The dish feeds a family well and requires minimal attention once cooking starts, though it doesn't reheat particularly gracefully; the sauce can break slightly when microwaved, so plan to eat it fresh or gently warm on the stovetop. This is a reliable weeknight win if you brown the meatballs in the morning or afternoon and let the crockpot do the work.