Lingonberry Stuffed Meatballs

This post is part of a series called ‘Flavors of The Holidays‘.

Its fall and the flavors and aromas of the holidays are upon us. Join me for the next few weeks as I reveal some of my favorite holiday dishes from family, friends and around the world. Check back every Wednesday for a new recipe until Christmas.

Other than having made it half a dozen times, I can’t take any credit for this recipe. I first had it at Christmas when my cousin Jason made it for the entire family, and he got it from the Food Network. It was served on a bead of creamy mashed potatoes and covered with a sweet pea & cream sauce which gives it a nice festive color too. I simply love this recipe though, it does take a bit of prep work and a couple ingredients you aren’t likely to have but once you serve it to your friends and they beg you for the recipe it’ll all be worth it.

Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 pound ground veal; 1/2 cup minced yellow onion; 3 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves stripped and coarsely chopped; 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence; 3 teaspoons salt; 2 teaspoons white pepper; 5 eggs; 3 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs; 4 tablespoons lingonberries; Vegetable oil
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.; Put the ground beef, veal, onion, tarragon, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the eggs and pour over the meat. Mix well using your hands (it’s the best way to make meatballs). Add 1 1/2 cups of the bread crumbs and mix well. Set aside.; Form the meat mixture into 12 balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball with your thumb and fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of the lingonberries. Push the meat back over the fruit, making sure to seal the hole well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The meatballs can be made to this point 1 day in advance.); Pour 3 inches of vegetable oil into a large deep sided skillet and place over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Test the oil by dropping a bread cube into it. If the cube browns quickly, the oil is ready. Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator and roll them in the remaining bread crumbs. Carefully place them into the skillet 4 at a time. Keep a close watch on them, making sure to turn them so they get golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet of paper towels. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.; Put the meatballs on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

The first time I made this I couldn’t find ligonberries, so I substituted cranberry sauce. Recently though, I’ve found that IKEA sells a ligonberry sauce that could be used. In the end though, I frankly can’t tell the difference between the lingonberry sauce and cranberry sauce so it may just be easier to stick with cranberry.

Otherwise, I incourage you to make these WAY ahead of time (like the day before) and do the cooking right before you serve. Once you start the cooking process you can’t really stop so its very nice to be prepared ahead of time, and if they are cold they hold together better when you fry them. This makes an incredible alternative to traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and is one of my all time favorite dishes.