Ingredients

• 24 fresh meatballs
  • Beef or pork.
• 2/3 carrots
  • Peeled and chopped into chunks
• 750ml beef broth/gravy
• 500ml single cream
  • Double would also work, but single is preferable
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp thyme
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Fry the meatballs in a frying pan until browned on the outside. Do this in two batches of 12. Once browned, transfer (with oil and juices) into a slow cooker. Add the chopped carrots as well.
2. In a jug, mix together the broth, cream, cornflour, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs. Ensure they are thoroughly blended, then pour over the meatballs and carrots. Give a good stir and ensure everything is covered.
3. Cook for 4 – 5 hours on low (2 hours on high). If you can, give everything another mix about halfway through (though this is not essential).

Serve with mashed potato.

Advice

This is one of my few recipes which won’t freeze. The cream in the gravy goes all gelatinous and it’s really unpleasant when reheated. It can sit in the fridge for a day or two and be reheated in the microwave. But be sure to add a few spoonful of water before reheating though.

Lidl sell pre-made meatballs, which I find a very good quality (and convenience). If you want homemade meatballs, the original recipe (above) has a recipe which I haven’t tried but seems easy enough. My gravy recipe is slightly different though, so beware of that (I use cream instead of milk and more convenient liquid measures, because Americans).

With the cream, this is obviously not even close to being diet. Slimming World would have an epifit. But it is a very sumptuous gravy, which even I (an avid gravy disliker) lap up.

If you don’t have parsley or time, you can use mixed herbs to substitute for them for a similar effect.