The first time I had Swedish meatballs was in NYC. My husband and I were there on a business trip and decided to just walk until we found a place to have lunch. We ended up sitting outside at a cute little Swedish place and enjoying the meatballs. A few years later, we went back to NYC with the kids for a long weekend. I picked a restaurant out of a guidebook for dinner. It ended up being the same Swedish place,, which we didn’t realize until we were there. It was just as good the second time. After that trip, I learned how to make them myself. But can they be made in parchment? That was the challenge I set for myself and the answer is a resounding yes.

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp carraway seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

1 tbsp skim milk

6 cups whole wheat noodles, cooked so they are very al dente

First, a word about the noodles. I tried this recipe several ways. It is possible to soak uncooked egg noodles in hot water for 5 minutes then use them in the packets, but the results are just a bit gummy. It is also possible to boil noodles in the microwave if you use a big enough bowl. That’s the best method if you want to do this without a pot. Or you can just cook them on the stovetop if you want. If you have leftover noodles from something else you’re good to go!

Mix turkey and all ingredients except the noodles in a bowl. Set up 4 pieces of parchment and place 1/4 of the noodles on each. Make the turkey mixture into 12 meatballs and place 3 on each pile of noodles. It’s possible to freeze the meatballs at this stage if you place them on a baking sheet until they’re solid, then transfer to a ziploc bag. This is great if you only want to make one or two packets at a time.

For each packet, add 1/4 cup light sour cream, 4 tbsp chicken broth, 1 tbsp lingonberry jelly (which is available in the jelly section of your grocery store), 1 tsp cornstarch, and salt and pepper. Gently mix everything together. It does not have to be perfectly combined. Fold the parchment (see Technique page) and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Open each packet and top with a dollop (about 1 tsp of lingonberry jelly).

This smelled so good while it was baking that the entire family came to see what was cooking! I love the flavor of the lingonberry. Using turkey, whole wheat egg noodles, and light sour cream makes this a healthy alternative to more traditional dishes.