Poppy's Not at all Swedish Meatballs

This recipe reminds me most of my grandfather.  No, he didn't make it, but I think it was his favorite meal.  I never saw him eat a green vegetable, except for the peppers in this recipe.  My grandmother used to make this recipe often for him.  She told me how to make it, but there was nothing exact about it.  It was some of this...a bit of that...and handful of those.  I decided to finally sit down and figure out the measurements so I can share it with you all.  I use all organic ingredients, something that was not around when my grandfather ate them.  My grandparent's called it "Swedish Meatballs" but they are in no way Swedish Meatballs.  I have no idea why they called it that.  This recipe contains none of the ingredients that make such a dish.  Instead, the meatballs contain peppers and onions and are simmered in a brown gravy until the gravy gets the flavor of the meat and the meat absorbs the gravy.  I have decided to change the name and honor my grandfather at the same time.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.  Poppy would love you to.

Serves 6-8 depending on how many meatballs you eat.  Makes 24 meatballs. 
Ingredients:

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
2 lbs ground beef
4 16 oz. containers of canned or homemade brown or beef gravy
2 lbs extra wide egg noodles, cooked according to instructions on the bag

Here's how:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Dice the onions and peppers.

Diced peppers

Diced onion

Combine the eggs, milk and bread crumbs in a bowl and combine well.

Eggs, milk and bread crumb

Combined eggs, milk and bread crumb

Add the peppers and onions.  Combine.

Peppers and onions added to bread crumb mix

Add the meat and mix until the mixture is homogeneous.

Meat ready to form into balls

Make the meatballs.  I used a large ice cream scoop.  You should end up with 24 meatballs.

View of the entire sheet of meatballs

Close up, you can see the peppers and onions in there

Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes until the meatballs are brown.

Out of the oven and ready for the gravy

Browned and delicious

Place a deep saute pan on the stove.  Pour in the brown gravy. 

This is the brand of organic gravy I use.

Gravy ready for meatballs

Place the meatballs in the pan.  Simmer for about an hour until the meatballs are full of gravy and the gravy takes on the meat flavor.

Meatballs after 30 minutes

After one hour

Serve over eggs noodles. 

My grandma always browns the meatballs in the pan she is going to simmer the meatballs in.  This is perfectly acceptable, but I do not like the mess.  Also, I think the meatballs stay together better when they are baked, rather than turned in the pan.  The cooking method is up to you.