Blackhawks' Hjalmarsson Visits Niles Meijer

Niklas Hjalmarsson, a defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks, visited the Meijer grocery store in Niles Monday to cook Swedish meatballs and sign autographs, and 9-year-old Dimitrios Karavas was thrilled.

"He's a good defenseman. He helps the goalie," said Karavas, as he left the area where the player was signing autographs. Dimitrios and his father, Mario, and little brother Devin, of Arlington Heights, all got autographs from Hjalmarsson on their Blackhawk gear.

The Swedish-born Hjalmarsson started his visit to Meijer at about 4:30 p.m., and he cooked his recipe for Swedish meatballs for the crowd. At 5:30, he began signing autographs.

Brian Dahm, market research and sponsorship event coordinator for the Blackhawks, estimated that about 1,000 people came out for the event. 

"I think he signed a thousand autographs," Dahm said. 

John Wiedeman, a radio broadcaster who serves as the play-by-play voice of Blackhawks hockey on WGN radio, was also on hand to greet Blackhawks fans.

"It went phenomenal. A lot of people came through, and Niklas signed autographs and spoke with a lot of the fans," he said. "I thought everyone was well-behaved."

He said he enjoyed Hjalmarsson's Swedish meatballs, which were in a cream sauce with seasoning, onions, oatmeal and parsley.

"They were so good they're indescribable," he said. 

Niklas Hjalmarsson’s Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce Recipe

1 meatball per serving, makes 36 servings; recipe provided by Meijer

1 lb. Meijer ground round beef

1 Meijer egg

1/3 cup Meijer 2% milk

1 tbsp. Meijer dried parsley

¼  cup Meijer Naturals old fashioned oatmeal

½  onion, chopped small

½  tsp. salt

¼  tsp. Meijer ground black pepper

¼  tsp. nutmeg

Sauce

1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell’s Healthy Request condensed cream of chicken soup

1 (10.75 oz.) can Campbell’s 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup

1 (12 oz.) can Carnation low fat evaporated milk

1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley

1. Mix together beef, eggs, milk, parsley, oatmeal, onion, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Use a tablespoon to scoop meat and shape into small meatballs. 
2. Bake on tray at 450 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. Remove meatballs from tray and place meatballs in a lightly greased 2-quart (8”x11”) casserole dish.  In a separate medium bowl, combine the soups with the evaporated milk, stirring until smooth.  Pour over the meatballs.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for another 40 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

Calories 50, Fat 2.5g, Saturated fat 1.2g, Cholesterol 15mg, Sodium 159mg, Carbohydrate 2g, Fiber 0g, Protein 3g