One of my new favorite ways to use all the ground deer that my avid hunter of a husband provides for our freezer is to make meatballs. But when we started getting a little tired of your standard spaghetti and meatballs, I decided to branch out and see if there was any other way to prepare meatballs that would be equally tasty and provide some variety. Enter Creamy Dijon Meatballs.
All the members of my household are fans of a good cream based sauce, so that seemed like a natural next step in my meatball journey. I had also recently tried a recipe I found for chicken in a dijon sauce that was really tasty, so I wondered if that flavor profile could be adapted to fit with a red meat. Turns out, the answer is yes!
How to make this recipe:
The sauce is actually pretty simple – it’s essentially a dijon flavored gravy – and there are lots of options for prepping the meatballs. I like to make them from scratch (to use up that deer meat I mentioned earlier) and have developed what I think is a pretty knockout air fryer meatball recipe. But you can totally use your own favorite meatball recipe, or buy them premade from the store to make this recipe extra quick.
The essential steps are to prepare the sauce on the stove top, while simultaneously cooking your choice of meatball and something to serve the meat and sauce with. I like to layer this recipe over a bed of rice, but there are other options as well.
What to serve with these meatballs:
As I mentioned above, I like to serve the meatballs and sauce on top of rice, but you can also use egg noodles. Typically we eat it this as the whole meal, though I do sometimes make a side to go with it, generally rolls because I have some picky kiddos who need some simple carbs to encourage them. Of course, every family is different so you can certainly make some veggies to go with yours! I really should probably start doing that, it sounds like a healthy choice.
- 14 cooked meatballs*
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- cooked rice (optional for serving)
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Begin preparing your favorite meatballs following recipe/package instructions.
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While meatballs cook, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Whisk in flour, then gradually whisk in beef broth, followed by cream. Simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Whisk in mustard and salt.
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Serve immediately over cooked meatballs (layered on a bed of rice or noodles if desired). Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
*I use this recipe for air fryer meatballs but you can use any recipe or preprepared meatball that you like. If you opt for a chicken or turkey meatball, replace the beef broth with chicken or vegetable broth.
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