Spiced Apple Venison Swedish Meatballs
Swedish meatballs have long been a favorite of mine, but this delicious recipe took the meal to a whole new level. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy that will have your tastebuds soaring. The apple butter gives it a warm, comforting taste making it the perfect addition to any Fall menu.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups minced red onion
2 lb. pork sausage meat
2 lb. ground venison
4 cups Panko bread crumbs
2 cups Apple Butter, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
4 large eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. sea salt
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 cup beef stock
1/4 cup honey
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°F
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
While that’s cooling in a large bowl, mix the pork sausage, ground venison, Panko crumbs, 1 cup Apple Butter, sour cream,
eggs, salt, pepper and allspice. When it has cooled, mix in the onion until evenly combined. This part is a bit messy, but I think messy is fun. I like to wash my hands well and use them to mix it all together.
Measure out the meatballs into 1-oz. portions, using a 30 ml scoop, also known as a 1/8 cup. Roll tight balls and place them into glass baking dishes sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, close together, but not touching. I used four 9″x13″ baking dishes.
Bake 15 minutes, but check them about half way through, giving the dishes a little shake to loosen the meatballs.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup of apple butter with beef broth, honey and 
cayenne pepper. Pour the sauce over the top of the meatballs, making sure to coat each meatball, and return to oven for 8–10 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve warm. I serve 3 meatballs over rice or noodles and use what’s left of the sauce to garnish.
WILD HART OUTDOORS 