Description
French Onion Meatballs combine hearty ground beef meatballs with sweet caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese for a comforting one-pan dinner. Served best over garlic toast or creamy mashed potatoes, this flavorful dish brings the classic French onion soup flavors into a satisfying meatball 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 of 1 package)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
Onions & Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 cup beef broth or water, divided
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (remaining half of 1 package)
Topping
- 4 oz Swiss cheese, sliced or shredded
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375˚F to prepare for baking the meatballs later.
- Make Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, half of the onion soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, milk, and eggs. Mix until just combined and then roll into 18 meatballs about 1.5-2 inches in diameter.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When hot, add the meatballs and sear each side for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
- Cook Onions: Lower heat to medium-low and add butter, sliced onions, 1/4 cup beef broth, and the remaining onion soup mix to the skillet. Cook for 8-12 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions become translucent and caramelized. Add broth as needed to keep the onions moist.
- Assemble & Bake: Return meatballs to skillet, add the remaining beef broth, and top meatballs evenly with Swiss cheese. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160˚F and cheese is melted.
- Optional Broil: For a browned cheese topping, switch oven to broil and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve the meatballs hot over thick sliced garlic toast or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- This one-pan dinner is packed with flavor and hearty comfort, perfect for a satisfying meal.
- You can substitute beef broth with water or vegetable broth if preferred.
- For a lower fat version, use lean ground beef and reduce butter slightly.
- If Swiss cheese is unavailable, provolone or mozzarella can be good alternatives.
- Be careful broiling cheese to avoid burning; watch the skillet closely during this step.
- Leftover meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
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
