Description
French Onion Meatballs are a hearty, flavorful one-pan dinner combining juicy beef meatballs with sweet caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese. Perfect served over garlic toast or mashed potatoes for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (half package)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
Onions and Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup beef broth or water, divided
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (remaining half package)
Topping
- 4 oz Swiss cheese (sliced or shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375˚F to prepare for baking the meatballs with cheese.
- Prepare Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, half the onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and eggs. Mix well and shape into 18 meatballs about 1.5 to 2 inches each.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Once hot, add meatballs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until nicely seared. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
- Caramelize Onions: In the same skillet, add butter, sliced onions, 1/4 cup beef broth, and the remaining onion soup mix. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions for 8 to 12 minutes, stirring regularly until translucent and caramelized. Add more broth if needed to maintain moisture.
- Combine and Bake: Return meatballs to the skillet with onions, add remaining 1/2 cup beef broth, and top meatballs with Swiss cheese. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until meatballs reach 160˚F internal temperature.
- Optional Broil: For extra melted and toasted cheese, broil the meatballs for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve the meatballs hot over thick sliced garlic toast or creamy mashed potatoes for a complete meal.
Notes
- This hearty one-pan dinner boasts intense savory flavors from the beef, caramelized onions, and melted Swiss cheese.
- Use beef broth or water to keep onions moist while caramelizing to develop rich flavor and softness.
- Meatballs can be made slightly larger or smaller but bake accordingly to reach safe internal temperature.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or garlic toast to soak up the delicious gravy and melted cheese sauce.
- For extra cheesy top, broiling lightly at the end gives a great golden crust on the cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 meatballs
- Calories: 551 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 983 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 167 mg
