Description
French Onion Meatballs feature juicy beef meatballs combined with caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese for a comforting and flavorful one-pan meal. Perfectly seared and oven-baked to perfection, these meatballs pair wonderfully with mashed potatoes or garlic toast.
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 tbsp onion soup mix (half of 1 oz package)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
Caramelized Onions and Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 oz onion soup mix (remaining half of 1 oz package)
- 3/4 cup beef broth or water, divided
Topping
- 4 oz Swiss cheese, sliced or shredded
Instructions
- Preheat Oven. Preheat your oven to 375˚F to prepare for baking the meatballs later.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian seasoned bread crumbs, grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, half the onion soup mix (about 1 tbsp), Worcestershire sauce, milk, and eggs. Mix gently until just combined.
- Form Meatballs. Shape the mixture into 18 meatballs, approximately 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter each.
- Sear Meatballs. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and when hot, add the meatballs. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes until nicely seared. Remove meatballs and set aside.
- Cook Onions. Add butter, sliced onions, remaining onion soup mix, and 1/4 cup of beef broth to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions for 8-12 minutes, stirring frequently until they become translucent and caramelized. Add more broth if needed to keep moisture.
- Combine and Add Cheese. Return meatballs to the skillet with the onions, add the remaining beef broth, then top the meatballs evenly with Swiss cheese.
- Bake to Finish. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160˚F and the cheese is melted.
- Optional Broil. For a golden cheese topping, switch the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking to toast the cheese.
- Garnish and Serve. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve the meatballs over thick garlic toast or creamy mashed potatoes.
Notes
- This one-pan dish is hearty and packed with rich flavors from caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese.
- Meatballs are delicious served over mashed potatoes or garlic toast for a comforting meal.
- If you don't have Swiss cheese, Gruyère or mozzarella can be used as substitutes.
- Use beef broth for deeper flavor or water if broth is unavailable.
- Make sure not to overmix the meatball mixture to keep them tender.
- Using an oven-proof skillet lets you sear and bake meatballs in the same pan, saving cleanup time.
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
