Simmer Frozen Meatballs With This Canned Soup For A Cozy 20-Minute Comfort Meal

Canned soup is a life saver when it comes to making easy, affordable meals. You can enjoy it as-is, but there are plenty of ways to turn it into something else. Take a can of cream of mushroom — a versatile soup that's also perfect on baked potatoes or pasta — and pair it with some frozen meatballs. Once those meatballs simmer in the canned soup, you'll have an easy-to-prepare take on Swedish meatballs without the hassle of anything homemade.

This is the perfect dinner when you want something hearty and filling in no time. Purchase frozen meatballs that are already fully cooked (this should be most frozen options, but check the packaging to be sure). This way, you only have to worry about heating them through. To round out the meal, spoon the saucy meatballs over cooked egg noodles or your favorite pasta for a no-fuss meal that offers more of a macro balance. You can also just serve the meatballs and soup with a side of bread or rice. 

Canned mushroom soup is salty and creamy with plenty of mushroom flavor. But you can get this even closer to tasting like Swedish meatballs with the addition of a few other ingredients. Add a splash of beef broth to bring more depth to the mushroom soup; canned broth is inexpensive and usually available right in the same aisle at grocery stores. Enhance it with a little black pepper for some extra flavor and you'd be surprised at how much of a difference two ingredients can make. Finally, to get that true Swedish meatball flavor, add a little nutmeg and allspice.

Besides a Swedish meatballs version, you can also create a quick take on a one-pot beef stroganoff-style dinner with the same meatballs and mushroom soup base. Just add a spoonful of Dijon, a little beef broth, sour cream, and Worcestershire to the soup. The Dijon creates a bright spice, the beef broth adds deeper flavor, the sour cream brings tang, and the Worcestershire creates an umami profile that will make this easy dinner taste homemade. Both sauce options start with the same base, so if you buy enough soup, you can make similar dinners on two different days.