French Onion Soup Meatballs

My boys love meatballs, so I’m always looking for fun new flavors to stuff into those meatballs (some of my favorites are Asian Turkey, Pesto, Chicken Parmesan, and Bacon Cheeseburger!)

This time around, I wanted to play with the classic: French Onion Soup (don’t miss The Classic, The Twist, & The Grilled Cheese).  It is one of my favorite wintertime soups, but the kids won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole.  Unless of course, those caramelized beef infused onions are stuffed into their meatballs!

This is truly a match made in heaven and adds a bit of sophistication to plain old meatballs.  We will be enjoying these time and time again as the weather grows colder!

French Onion Soup Meatballs

1 medium onion, sliced very thin

2 tbsp butter, divided

Salt & pepper

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

3 tbsp dry red wine, divided

1 ¼ cup beef stock, divided

1 lb ground beef

1 egg

¼ cup bread crumbs

1 cup shredded swiss or Monterey jack cheese

1 tbsp flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the onions and stir to coat.  Continue cooking until the onion are softened and beginning to caramelize. 

Season the onions with salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Add the wine and cook until evaporated.  Add 2 tablespoons of beef stock and cook until evaporated.  Add 2 tablespoons of beef stock again, cooking until evaporated.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Place the beef, caramelized onions, egg, bread crumbs, and cheese in a bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands (I use disposable gloves).  Divide into 12-15 meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, in the same skillet as the onions were cooked in, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute, whisking constantly.  Slowly whisk in the remaining cup of beef stock and simmer until thickened.

Serve the meatballs over mashed potatoes topped with the gravy.    Top with additional caramelized onions, if desired.