Mom's Swedish Meatballs

These meatballs have been a traditional dish in our family for years. They are wonderful! They can be served at a party as an appetizer or with potatoes for dinner. This recipe is a 6 pound recipe and makes roughly 64 golf-ball sized meatballs. This recipe will feed a large group, or you can feed your family for two days and then freeze the leftovers. If you are not looking for such a large amount, consider halving the recipe.

Meatballs:
5 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk (I use skim)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. black ground pepper
3 tsp. white sugar
2 T. ketchup
3 T. dry minced onion
5 pounds lean ground beef (I buy from Von Hanson's)
1 pound ground pork - Not pork sausage (I buy from Von Hanson's)

Whisk together the first 11 ingredients, then mix in meat thoroughly using your hands. Form meat into golf-ball sized balls and brown on a greased cookie sheet or boiler pan in the oven (425 degrees) for 20 minutes. If making a large batch, you will need to brown the meatballs in batches. Transfer meatballs to crockpot, and set on low to keep warm (I filled two crockpots a little over half way). Scrape drippings from the pan after each batch and place in large saucepan to use later for gravy.

Gravy:
Depending on how many drippings you get add 7-8 cups water to saucepan.
Add the following spices to water and drippings (these seasonings were used for the meatballs and therefore the gravy will accent the flavor of the meatballs):
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. white sugar
1 1/2 T. ketchup
Whisk in roughly 1 1/2 cups brown gravy mix (I use the Tone's brand brown gravy mix bought bulk - 24oz. at Sam's Club). Bring gravy to a boil over medium-high heat until thickened. You may need to whisk in a little extra gravy mix if it is not quite the consistency you wish for. Lastly, once the gravy is thickened add roughly 1 1/2 T. powdered beef bouillon flavoring (I buy the Knorr brand in the Ethnic food isle at Cub Foods, but you can use any beef bouillon of your choice. With this brand you get more for your money though). Just a bit of the beef bouillon will accentuate the beef flavor in the gravy. Pour gravy over meatballs in crockpot. Keep crockpot on low and serve.