“French Onion Meatballs” Are the Most Delicious Thing I Cooked Last Year (By Far) — My Family Still Talks About Them
There’s a great debate in my household about whether soup counts as dinner. I say, “Yes, of course!” while the rest of my family considers it a first course. In the name of compromise, I’m turning to recipes inspired by classic soups, but that are more substantial. One of my favorite soups is French onion soup, where every bowl is filled with caramelized onions and a savory broth, and topped with an oversized Gruyère-crusted crouton. Last year I took all of those flavors, added juicy meatballs, and made one of my favorite dinners of the year.
Get the recipe: French Onion Meatballs
What Makes French Onion Meatballs So Good
It tastes just like the iconic French soup, but better. This dinner has everything you love about French onion soup — the jammy onions, savory broth, and gooey cheese — plus juicy meatballs.
Every bite is better than the last. Your fork will be filled with thyme-infused meatballs for one bite, and caramelized onions and melty Gruyère cheese on a hunk of crusty bread the next.
How to Make French Onion Meatballs
Prepare the meatballs. Gently mix fresh thyme, Gruyère cheese, ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, and pepper. Shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and bake until cooked through.
Caramelize the onions. Slowly cook sliced onion in butter with more fresh thyme, salt, and pepper until they are very soft and deep golden-brown.
Make the sauce. Coat the onions with all-purpose flour before deglazing the pan with white wine, and simmering with beef broth until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add meatballs to the sauce and cover with cheese. Use tongs to transfer the meatballs to the skillet, coating them in the caramelized onion sauce, then sprinkle with Gruyère cheese. Slide the skillet under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
If You’re Making French Onion Meatballs, a Few Tips
Use a cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. Measuring and rolling meatballs can be a tedious task. This medium cookie scoop makes dividing the savory mixture so much easier (and less messy).
Caramelize the onions slowly. Get the maximum flavor from your onions by cooking them slowly over medium heat. Rushing the process won’t result in the same jammy, sweet, and savory results.
Do some prep. This recipe is the perfect candidate for a make-ahead meal. Bake the meatballs or make the caramelized onion sauce (or do both), then combine the two when ready to serve.
Get the recipe: French Onion Meatballs
This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: “French Onion Meatballs” Are the Most Delicious Thing I Cooked This Year (By Far) — My Family Still Talks About Them
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