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Cheesy French Onion Meatballs

These tender and cheesy French onion meatballs are soaked in a savory sweet onion sauce, perfect for impressing your family at dinner.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Comfort Food
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 1 lb ground beef Or ground turkey can be used with added oil.
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs Soaked in milk for tenderness.
  • 1/4 cup milk Used to soak the breadcrumbs.
  • 1 large egg To bind the meatballs.
  • 1 teaspoon salt To taste.
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper To taste.
For the Sauce
  • 2 large yellow onions Thinly sliced, key for caramelizing.
  • 2 tablespoon butter For caramelizing the onions.
  • 1 cup beef broth For deglazing and adding flavor.
  • 1 cup Gruyère cheese For melting in the end.

Method
 

Prepare the Meatballs
  1. In a bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine the ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and pepper.
  3. Gently shape meatballs without packing too tight.
  4. Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.
Caramelize the Onions
  1. In a wide pan, melt butter and add the sliced onions.
  2. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes until golden.
  3. Add a pinch of salt while cooking to help sweat the onions.
  4. Deglaze the pan with beef broth, scraping the brown bits into the onions.
Combine and Serve
  1. Add the baked meatballs to the pan with the caramelized onions.
  2. Stir in the Gruyère cheese and heat until melted and bubbly.
  3. Serve hot with crusty bread or over buttered egg noodles.

Notes

Make the meatballs and caramelized onions in advance to save time. They can be refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen (without cheese) for longer storage.