French Onion Meatballs
There’s a reason this combination wins every time: it’s those caramelized onions. It doesn’t hurt to add some juicy meatballs and melted Gruyere cheese to mix. And now, you got a winner of a meal.
In actuality, this recipe is absolutely simple to make. The only request the recipe has, is to go low and slow on the onions. In order for them to become golden brown and sweet, they have to be cooked on LOW heat for a significant amount of time. It should take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes for them to brown, reduce in size and caramelize. I would recommend using a dutch oven or a deep and wide pan. You need a generous surface area for the onions to cook properly.
Stir the minced garlic into the pot for 30 seconds. Follow this up with low sodium beef broth and let that simmer and thicken up the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes. You want the flavors to come together and that takes some time.
The speedier portion of this recipe is most definitely the meatballs. There are only 5 ingredients and salt and pepper. These bake in the oven in no time and turn out cheesy, meaty and juicy delicious. Gruyere cheese is definitely the right pairing for french onion soup.
The absolute culmination of this dish is taking your meatballs and sauce and transferring it on top of your toasted sourdough bread slice. It is the trifecta of ingredients coming together to form the perfect bite: cheesy meatball, french onion sauce and soaked sourdough bread; big chef’s kiss. You can also skip the bread and serve with some mashed potatoes, french fries or rice.
French Onion Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
French Onion Sauce:
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs butter
- 2 large onions, sliced thin
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ¾ cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Assembly:
- fresh chopped parsley
- 4 large slices sourdough bread, toasted
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all of the meatball ingredients until combined. Form your medium sized meatballs; I produced 16 meatballs. Bake them for 20-25 minutes.
French Onion Sauce:
- Melt your butter with the oil in a large deep pan or wide dutch oven. Add the onions and cook on LOW HEAT until they soften and caramelize, should take 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Pour in the beef broth, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, allowing it to thicken.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce pan and sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the pan for the cheese to melt.
- To serve: Garnish with fresh parsley. Add meatballs and onions on top of your bread slices.
