Swedish · Lunch & handhelds

Swedish meatball open sandwich

Name: Swedish meatball open sandwich
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4 open sandwiches
Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients: 1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for bread; 1/2 small yellow onion, finely grated; 3/4 pound 80%-lean ground beef; 3/4 pound ground pork; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup drained pickled beets, cut into 1/4-inch dice; 1/2 crisp apple, cut into 1/4-inch dice; 1/3 cup crème fraîche; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 4 thick slices dense dark rye or whole-grain bread; 4 butter-lettuce leaves, washed and completely dried; 2 tablespoons chopped chives

A Swedish köttbullemacka on buttered dark rye, layered with cool crisp lettuce, tender beef-and-pork meatballs, and creamy sweet-tart beet-and-apple salad.

About 1 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hrActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 4 open sandwiches

Equipment

Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Best large covered skillet
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the twelve-inch footprint, fitted lid, tri-ply heat distribution, 600°F oven and broiler rating, current model 41126 and UPC, ownership burden, and exact Amazon identity. Kwilt has not cooked with this pan.
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126: Its twelve-inch cooking surface gives rice, shrimp, meat, and vegetables room to cook evenly, while the fitted lid and 600°F oven rating cover both the lidded stovetop method and the shepherd's-pie oven finish. Trade-off: It is a premium-priced pan, food can stick without sound preheating and fat control, and the long handle plus lid need more storage room than a basic skillet.
Another workable path: Use another oven-safe 12-inch skillet with a well-fitting lid; if the handle has a lower heat limit, transfer oven-finished food to a suitable baking dish.
Sources
All-Clad model 41126 specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 4 open sandwiches

1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for bread
1/2 small yellow onion, finely grated
3/4 pound 80%-lean ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
1 large egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup drained pickled beets, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 crisp apple, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup crème fraîche
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 thick slices dense dark rye or whole-grain bread
4 butter-lettuce leaves, washed and completely dried
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions

Stir breadcrumbs and cream together and rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low and cook onion until soft but not browned, 5 minutes; cool.
Mix beef, pork, soaked crumbs, onion, egg, salt, allspice, and pepper just until cohesive. With damp hands shape sixteen small meatballs. Refrigerate 20 minutes so they hold their shape.
Brown meatballs in a over medium in two batches, turning gently, until evenly colored and the centers reach 160°F, 8 to 10 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then halve.
Fold beets and apple with crème fraîche, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Lightly butter rye, add dry lettuce, spoon on beet salad, and arrange halved meatballs over it. Finish with chives and serve open-faced with a knife and fork.

SwedenSwedish café and household cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Köttbullemacka is a Swedish open sandwich of sturdy bread, lettuce, meatballs, and creamy pickled-beet salad; gravy belongs to the hot plated meal rather than this cool café form.

Köttbullemacka is a Swedish open sandwich commonly assembled from bread, lettuce, meatballs, and rödbetssallad. Beet-salad formulas vary among sour cream, crème fraîche, and mayonnaise bases; apple is a familiar crisp counterpoint. Gravy belongs to the hot plated meal, not this cool sandwich. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Build the classic Swedish sandwich from scratch, using the recurring beef-pork meatball and creamy pickled-beet structure while omitting hot gravy and keeping the bread sturdy.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe