There’s something utterly irresistible about grilled onions. They bring a savory sweet mildness to every dish. Everything they touch is just oh-so-much-better when you add grilled onions. Take these savory meatballs for example. Tender meatballs are simmered in a savory brown gravy that’s loaded with delectable grilled onions. Then they’re topped with a layer of melted Gruyère cheese all served over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes. Can a meal get any better than that? You will be hard pressed to find one!
When you read through the recipe, you might think it look’s like a lot of work, but I promise you this is one meal that is totally worth the extra effort it takes to make. It’s not hard to make, it just takes a bit more time to make it. It’s perfect when you have some extra time to spend in the kitchen on a weekend and want to wow your family. It’s the perfect meal for a cold weekend when the the weather keeps you inside and you can cuddle up in a blankie with this hearty hot meal. It will get your tastebuds singing and warm you up from the inside out. It’s a great hearty fall dinner.
Start by cooking the onions. In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply golden brown and reduced significantly in volume, about 30 minutes.
Add a splash or two of water to the pan when the mixture becomes too dry. Stir frequently to prevent the onions from burning.
When the onions are a deep golden brown, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons butter, scraping up any dark bits in the bottom of the pan.
Cook until liquid cooks off.
Fish out and discard the bay leaves and transfer the cooked onions to a large bowl and allow them to cool down.
Carefully wipe out the skillet and set it aside.
Make the meatballs:
Once the onions have cooled off a little, roughly chop half the onions.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, beaten egg, panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
Add chopped onions to the meatball mixture.
Mix meat mixture together until combined.
Divide the mixture up into 16 evenly sized balls.
TIP: Form the meat mixture into a large ball. Divide in half, divide each half into half. Keep dividing each portion in half until you have 16 evenly sized portions.
Cook the meatballs and make the sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat.
Add the meatballs, and cook them until they are browned on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove the meatballs from the skillet, and keep warm.
Sprinkle flour in the pan stirring until the flour is cooked, about 1 minute.
Slowly add the beef broth, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Stir well to combine the sauce.
Stir in the remaining onions.
Return the meatballs to the skillet.
Stir gently so as not to break up the meatballs, spooning sauce onto the meatballs to coat them with the sauce.
Increase heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened and is slightly darker in color, about 5-10 minutes.
Turn off heat and sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese over the meatballs.
Place skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly hot, about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on the skillet so the cheese doesn’t burn.
Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes and a loaf of French bread for mopping up the delectable to-die-for sauce.
This is one of those dishes, when you take that first bite you know you aren’t going to be able to stop until your belly is ready to bust! The savory grilled onion brown gravy is so good you will need several slices of bread to mop up every last drop. The meatballs are packed with flavor and soft and melt in your mouth tender. As if that’s not over the top good enough, add a bed of mashed potatoes to the party and you will literally be in foodie heaven!
Save this recipe for one of those cold evenings when you have the time to create this delicious masterpiece! You’re family will gobble it up!
French Onion Meatball Skillet
Equipment
- large oven safe cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For the grilled onions:
- 6 tbsp butter
- 6 cups think sliced onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dreid thyme
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp Dijon musttard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
Cook the onions:
- In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add the onions, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply golden brown and reduced significantly in volume, about 30 minutes. Add a splash or two of water to the pan if mixture becomes too dry.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons butter, scrape up any dark bits in the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid cooks off.
- Discard the bay leaves and transfer the onions to a large bowl and allow them to cool down.
- Carefully wipe out the skillet and set it aside.
Make the meatballs:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, beaten egg, panko bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Roughly chop half the onions and add them to the meatball mixture.
- Mix meat mixture together until combined.
- Divide the mixture up into 16 evenly sized balls.
- TIP: Form the meat mixture into a large ball. Divide in half, divide each half into half. Keep dividing each portion in half until you have 16 evenly sized portions.
Cook the meatballs and make the sauce:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, and cook them until they are browned on all sides, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the meatballs from the skillet, and keep warm.
- Sprinkle flour in the pan stirring until the flour is cooked, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the beef broth, the remaining onions, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine the sauce.
- Return meatballs to the skillet coating them with the sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Cook until the sauce has thickened and is slightly darker in color, about 5-10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese over the meatballs.
- Place skillet in the oven and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly hot, about 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on the skillet so the cheese doesn’t burn.
- Serve over a bed of mashed potatoes and a loaf of French bread for mopping up the delectable sauce.
Did You Make This?
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