Swedish-Style Turkey Meatballs

Inspired by the culinary stylings of everyone’s favorite Swedish furniture supplier, this dish of little meatballs is a complete meal that’s so fun to make and eat as a group that it’s likely to become an annual tradition in its own right. Instead of lingonberries, cranberries plus orange marmalade are cooked together to make an irresistible jam that will be the star of your meatball sandwich leftovers. All you need to complete the picture is a pot of mashed potatoes and you’ve got a reimagined Thanksgiving dinner on your hands, hitting all the right flavors but maxing out on the delight of not having to carve a bird.

Turkey meatballs have a bad reputation for being tough and dry, but these defy the odds at every turn. Bound with milk, eggs, grated onion, and just enough breadcrumbs to hold everything together, it’s a sticky mixture that won’t easily roll into perfectly pert balls. Resist the urge to add more breadcrumbs, which would certainly make the meat firmer and more malleable—that’s how you end up with very tough meat on the other side. Instead, employ a small cookie scoop or spoon to help form your balls and drop them directly into the pot. A hard sear followed by a gentle braise in gravy and you’ll find these give even the best pork and beef meatballs you’ve ever had a run for their money in the tenderness department.