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Meatballs in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Meatballs in mushroom sauce is the ultimate comfort food! Beef and pork meatballs pan seared and simmered in a creamy mushroom sauce.

Is it just me or after a really trying week do you also want a big huge bowl of comfort food? I know that I need it! Especially days when it’s blustery and cold outside. That is when it’s time for some stick to your ribs, make your tummy smile food. And that is exactly what these Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce are. 

My whole family loved these, and I am sure that yours will too. Let’s talk about what you need to make them.

What ingredients do you need to make meatballs in mushroom sauce?

There are two parts to this dish: the meatballs and the cream sauce. Both are relatively easy to make and they don’t need many ingredients.

For the meatballs:

  • GROUND BEEF AND COUNTRY SAUSAGE: The combination of both meats really makes these meatballs shine. Country sausage is sometimes called “breakfast sausage” it is usually seasoned with salt, pepper and sage. It is different than Italian sausage, don’t substitute Italian sausage in this recipe.
  • ONION/GARLIC: Mince these so there are not large chunks of them in the meatballs.
  • HERBS DE PROVENCE: A dried herb blend with herbs that are typically found in the Provence region of France. It is usually a blend of savory, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano and sometimes lavender.
  • EGG/BREADCRUMBS: Both of these help bind and hold the meatballs together.
  • WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE: A fermented sauce that has the same umami quality as soy sauce.
  • SALT/PEPPER

For the Mushroom Sauce you’ll need:

  • MUSHROOMS: I like to use crimini mushrooms in this recipe. They have a much more earthy flavor than white button mushrooms.
  • FLOUR: This will help thicken the sauce
  • BEEF BROTH: Use low sodium so that you can control the salt content of the recipe.
  • MILK: Use whole milk or half and half for a creamier sauce.
  • SOUR CREAM: This also adds creaminess while giving the sauce a little tang. Use full fat sour cream. Non-fat sour cream may cause the sauce to separate a bit.

How do you make meatballs in cream sauce:

The two parts of this recipe: the meatballs and the cream sauce. Start out separately but then come together to simmer resulting in one delicious comfort food dinner.

  • STEP #1: In a bowl combine sausage, ground beef, minced onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, Herbs de Provence, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix with hands until well combined. Roll into approximately 15 meatballs.
  • STEP #2: Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches until all are browned, but not cooked through. Set aside. The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.
  • STEP #3: Reserve pan drippings. Add sliced onion and mushrooms to the pan. Cook 5-7 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle flour over the top and cook 1 minute.
  • STEP #4: Pour beef broth into the pan. Be sure to scrape up flavor bits from the bottom.
  • STEP #5: Whisk in the milk and sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Return meatballs to the pan. Spoon sauce over the meatballs and cook 25-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

To me these Meatballs in Mushrooms Sauce are perfect served over a mound of my Homemade Mashed Potatoes. Since this dish is so decadent, it’s also great to have a simple vegetable side dish to serve along side, I recommend sautéed broccoli or dill green beans.

If you’re looking for more meatball recipes, check these out:

Love mushrooms? SAME! Here are some of my favorite recipes highlighting mushrooms:

Note: This post was originally published in 2009. It was updated in 2021 with new photos, step by step photos and nutrition information.

Meatballs in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Meatballs in mushroom sauce is the ultimate comfort food! These beef and pork meatballs are pan seared and then simmered in a creamy mushroom sauce.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 348 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion 1/2 minced and 1/2 sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl combine sausage, ground beef, minced onion, garlic, bread crumbs, egg, Herbs de Provence, Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix with hands until well combined. Roll into approximately 15 meatballs.
  • Heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches until all are browned, but not cooked through. Set aside. The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.
  • Reserve pan drippings. Add sliced onion and mushrooms to the pan. Cook 5-7 minutes or until browned. Sprinkle flour over the top and cook 1 minute.
  • Pour beef broth into the pan. Be sure to scrape up flavor bits from the bottom.
  • Whisk in the milk and sour cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Return meatballs to the pan. Spoon sauce over the meatballs and cook 25-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

When adding the beef broth, be sure to scrape up the browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. That is called "fond" and there is so much good flavor there!
The meatballs won't be cooked through after pan searing, but they will finish cooking in the sauce. You can use a meat thermometer to make sure they reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit.



Nutrition facts for estimation purposes only.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcalCarbohydrates: 19.1gProtein: 26.5gFat: 18.5gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 744mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 6.1g
Tried this recipe?Mention @lifesambrosia or tag #lifesambrosia!
Keywords: comfort food, meat, meatballs, Mushrooms, pork

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




  • Reply
    Ann
    August 29, 2024 at 2:12 am

    5 stars
    Lovely comfort food. I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce and American mustard to the sauce and added finished it all off in the oven.

  • Reply
    Autumn Brooke
    October 1, 2021 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to make this. I love mushrooms and the cream sauce sounds so good.

  • Reply
    Wendy
    January 12, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious! I bought beautiful organic mushrooms and used a little smoked paprika. We paired it with mashed potatoes and my granddaughter, 6, declared it a big success. A veggie-filled salad and dinner was delicious!

    • Reply
      Deseree
      January 12, 2021 at 10:20 pm

      Ohhh that sounds like a perfect comfort food meal to me!! Glad you enjoyed them :)

  • Reply
    Lena
    October 5, 2018 at 9:57 am

    What type of pork sausage do you use? As far as flavoring goes. Breakfast or Italian? Thanks so much! This looks delicious!

    • Reply
      Deseree
      October 5, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      Hi Lena! I used country sausage, which I think is also known as breakfast sausage. :) I hope you enjoy it! I’ve been meaning to make it again, I think I will this week!

  • Reply
    Karen
    August 19, 2017 at 11:21 am

    I copied this years ago and made it last night for dinner. It was delicious. I didn’t have any pork sausage but substituted a lb of ground beef instead. Put it on Pinterest today under my recipes. Thanks for the great recipe.

  • Reply
    Yin Do
    November 4, 2015 at 11:36 am

    What herb did you top that off with?

    • Reply
      Des @ Life's Ambrosia
      November 4, 2015 at 8:57 pm

      Parsley :)

  • Reply
    Jenna
    February 26, 2015 at 6:05 pm

    Super yummy! I’ve made this a few times and enjoy it most when I follow the recipe strictly :)

  • Reply
    Kimberly Marie LaMie
    September 15, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Love this recipe, and the family loves it too. I made it easier by using precooked meatballs which makes it a good quick meal for a busy family. I serve it over egg noodles sometimes and mashed potatoes at other times.

  • Reply
    Missladyhawke
    July 26, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    So good! We just had this for dinner and it reminded me of the Beef Stroganoff that my mom made for me when I was a kid. I have one kid who doesn’t like mushrooms too much but she ate the sauce and meatballs anyway. Thank you for a great recipe. And a new favorite.

    • Reply
      Deseree
      July 26, 2014 at 10:06 pm

      You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that your family enjoyed it :)

  • Reply
    Deseree
    August 18, 2009 at 5:03 pm

    You’re welcome Kiesha! I am happy to that you enjoyed these. It is also great to hear that ground turkey works as a substitute. :)

  • Reply
    Kiesha
    August 18, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    ok..just finished..came out FANTASTIC!!!

  • Reply
    Kiesha
    August 18, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    Hey I’m making these as we speak..I substituted ground turkey,because my hubby doesn’t eat red meat nor pork..we’ll see how it goes! Thanks for the great recipe,girl! Keep ’em comin’!

  • Reply
    Aly
    August 14, 2009 at 12:09 am

    We made this tonight. So yummy! One question–did yours also have a bit of fat at the top of the sauce? It was from the meatballs when they went back into the sauce.

    In other recipes, thanks for your posts! We’ve made this, the shrimp tacos, chocolate cookies, and others. Everything has been yummy!

    • Reply
      Deseree
      August 14, 2009 at 11:12 am

      Hey Aly, I am glad to hear that you not only enjoy this but some of my other recipes as well! I didn’t notice any fat at the top of my sauce but you might be able to get rid of that by dabbing the meatballs with paper towels to get rid of some of the excess fat before putting them back in the sauce.

  • Reply
    Mrs. L
    August 13, 2009 at 10:16 am

    Now how did you know I’ve been craving meatballs in a cream sauce! Oh yum, I have to make these soon.

  • Reply
    Chrys
    August 12, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    This is comfort food at it’s best! I can’t wait to try this out. It looks amazing!!

  • Reply
    Ciaochowlinda
    August 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm

    Sounds comforting and truly delicious.

  • Reply
    kokomama
    August 12, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    The meatballs look fabulous! I have such a hard time photographing meat – it always comes out grayish and unappetizing, but your pictures makes the food look as delicious as it sounds.

  • Reply
    cassie
    August 12, 2009 at 10:07 am

    Looks wonderful. Hope this week is going better for you.

  • Reply
    Carrie
    August 12, 2009 at 4:57 am

    Comfort food sounds so good to me, too! This looks really great.

  • Reply
    Karine
    August 11, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    These meatballs with this sauce look to be packed with flavors!

  • Des

    Hey! I'm Des!

    Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.

    Read more »

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