I Finally Perfected How To Caramelize Onions, Now I'm Making French Onion EVERYTHING
Come wintertime, there’s not much that’s more comforting than a piping hot bowl of French onion soup. Melty Gruyère, sweet-savory caramelized onions, a hearty beef broth, and toasty, chewy baguette slices—what could be better? OH WAIT, I know: French onion everything. We’ve French onion-ified recipes for dinner, apps, and sides, all featuring that ultra-savory flavor combo.
First things first—a good French onion soup starts with good caramelized onions. You’ve heard it before, but it’s worth saying again: be patient! The goal is to caramelize the natural sugar in onions, which admittedly takes a bit of time, and it’s important not to rush the process. It can take upwards of 40 minutes to an hour, so prepare accordingly.
Once you’ve got a pile of golden, jammy caramelized onions, there’s really so much you can do with them. You can enjoy them as an appetizer to start your meal, like our French onion chicken meatballs, our French onion soup bites, or our French onion dip. They also transform a side from good to spectacular. Check out our French onion mac & cheese, our French onion smashed potatoes, or our upside-down French onion cornbread for proof. Caramelized onions are also a great addition to the main event, and our French onion pot roast, our French onion stuffed shells, our French onion chicken, and our French onion gnocchi soup prove the flavor combo goes way beyond traditional beef. Get creative, and try adding caramelized onions to your favorite dishes—we promise you won’t be sorry.
French Onion Soup Bites
These bites are made from crescent dough (the kind from a can that’s impossibly buttery), for a crunchy exterior, soft oniony center, and—don’t worry, we didn’t forget—a molten layer of cheese blanketing the top. They’re the perfect finger food, whether you’re hosting a soirée or simply treating yourself.
Get the French Onion Soup Bites recipe.
French Onion Soup
Rich, deeply flavorful, and downright decadent, French onion soup is the treat-yourself comfort food we'll never tire of. What really makes the classic so special is how it’s both perfect for curling up with during cold winter nights, while also being an incredible dish to impress party guests.
Get the French Onion Soup recipe.
French Onion Stuffed Shells
These French onion stuffed shells are filled with fluffy ricotta, gooey caramelized onions, and plenty of Gruyère for a deeply comforting wintertime dish that’s guaranteed to fill your home with the most delicious aroma. You’ll be making this over and over again as soon as the temperatures drop.
Get the French Onion Stuffed Shells recipe.
French Onion Pot Roast
Cold-weather comfort food is all we want on a lazy, long winter weekend, and this French onion pot roast is the perfect cross between slow-roasted chuck and classic cheesy French onion soup. Taking inspo from our onion soup rib roast, the beef is seasoned with onion soup mix to add depth and an extra umami boost.
Get the French Onion Pot Roast recipe.
French Onion Baked Potatoes
Cozy, warming and perfectly rich, our classic French onion soup is a recurring favorite on the weekly rotation. But, when we want to put those bowls away and dig into something a bit heartier, we turn to the tried-and-true potato to transform the staple soup into a filling comfort food we crave.
Get the French Onion Baked Potatoes recipe.
French Onion Mac & Cheese
TikTok may be obsessed with French onion pasta, but we added a special Delish twist: French onion mac & cheese. The comfort food classic gets a grown-up upgrade from Gruyère and caramelized onions in this recipe, lending that rich French onion flavor you know and love to extra-cheesy mac & cheese.
Get the French Onion Mac & Cheese recipe.
French Onion Dutch Baby
This recipe, as the name suggests, combines the magical rise and charm of a classic Dutch baby with the richness of French onion soup. Topped with quick-caramelized onions, burrata, and arugula, this savory version is the perfect blend of these two classics, perfect for enjoying as a fun side or a main course.
Get the French Onion Dutch Baby recipe.
Upside Down French Onion Cornbread
As much as we love a classic homemade cornbread, sometimes we like to spice things up. This French onion variety is PERFECT alongside a bowl of white chicken chili—that is, if you can stop yourself from eating it right out of the skillet. 😏
Get the Upside-Down French Onion Cornbread recipe.
French Onion Smashed Potatoes
Here, crispy smashed baby Yukons are topped with caramelized onions and gooey Gruyère for a snackable bite-sized smashed potatoes spin on the beloved classic soup. Serve these as an elevated app at your party (Super Bowl, anyone?), or as an extra-special, comforting side dish at your dinner for two.
Get the French Onion Smashed Potatoes recipe.
French Onion Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine Alfredo meets French onion soup in this wild pasta dish. It's creamy and cheesy and just as decadent as you imagine. To top off the dish, Gruyère gets melted over baguette slices and really sends this dish to the next level. It's not for the faint of heart.
Get the French Onion Fettuccine Alfredo recipe.
French Onion Rice
Caramelized onions, melty cheese, buttery rice... what's not to love? This is a simple, straightforward dish with chances for variation here and there. Using basmati rice will result in a light, fluffy product—if you prefer stickier, go with short- or medium-grain white rice.
Get the French Onion Rice recipe.
French Onion Grilled Cheese
Caramelized onions and melted Gruyère are a heavenly match, so sandwiching them between crispy toasted bread is a sure win. This grilled cheese take on the classic French onion soup will make you wonder why you ever bothered with the broth.
Get the French Onion Grilled Cheese recipe.
French Onion Gnocchi Soup
Forget bread and croutons, we found an even more delicious way to enjoy French onion soup—by adding gnocchi! Marrying the French classic with the convenience of store-bought gnocchi means you can have the most comforting dinner on the table in just under an hour.
Get the French Onion Gnocchi Soup recipe.
French Onion Soup Bombs
Cheese, carbs, and savory onion soup—what more could you need? These are like if French onion soup AND the bread that usually accompanies it became one comfort food bread bowl bomb.
Get the French Onion Soup Bombs recipe.
One-Pot French Onion Pasta
We’re big fans of one-pot pastas and French onion soup-flavored everything, so it was just a matter of time until we combined those two awesome things in one dish. Meet this one-pot French onion soup pasta, which is destined to become one of your favorite weeknight dinners.
Get the One-Pot French Onion Pasta recipe.
French Onion Pork Chops
What happens when French onion soup meets juicy, tender pork chops? THIS. We're not mad at it, and you shouldn't be either. The combo is WILDLY delicious, and it's surprisingly easy.
Get the French Onion Pork Chops recipe.
French Onion Zoodle Noodle Bake
This zoodle bake is far from boring—make it when you're craving comfort food sans guilt. French onion soup lovers, this one is definitely for you.
Get the French Onion Zoodle Noodle Bake recipe.
French Onion Chicken Meatballs
Gruyère not only tops these meatballs, but also goes into the mixture, making the entire dish extra cheesy. Serve these meatballs with risotto, orzo, or with crusty bread to make this a weeknight dinner, or on their own for a party appetizer to remember.
Get the French Onion Chicken Meatballs recipe.
French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms
Stuffed mushrooms may seem like just your average party appetizer, but cheesy French onion–stuffed mushrooms? Now that's an entirely different story.
Get the French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms recipe.
French Onion Meatball Sub
This isn’t your traditional saucy meatball sub, but instead has jammy caramelized onions and lots of Gruyère cheese just like our favorite French onion soup. The meatballs are quick and easy, and the caramelized onions are deeply savory with just a bit of natural sweetness to them.
Get the French Onion Meatball Sub recipe.
Cheesy French Onion Bread
No spoon? No problem, especially when you're sharing all the glory of French onion soup via this ooey, gooey pull-apart bread.
Get the Cheesy French Onion Bread recipe.
French Onion Chicken
Getting home after a long work day, the last thing we want to do is start cooking a lengthy, prep-heavy recipe. sThis French onion chicken is the perfect solution. While a traditional French onion soup is a classic for a reason, this riff is heartier, quicker, and requires less cleaning without compromising on any of the rich, cheesy flavors.
Get the French Onion Chicken recipe.
French Onion Chicken Casserole
This easy casserole takes everything we love about the original (cheese, crispy toast, TONS of caramelized onions) and adds in chicken for a protein-packed dinner that’s also indulgent, cheesy, and satisfyingly stuffing-like. In other words, we’ll be relying on it all winter long.
Get the French Onion Chicken Casserole recipe.
Vegan French Onion Stew
With complex flavor and toasts broiled with melty dairy-free cheese, this is just as good as the French classic. Hot tip: If you’re meal prepping, it’s best to melt your cheese on a sheet tray instead to avoid losing soggy pieces of bread in your leftovers.
Get the Vegan French Onion Stew recipe.
French Onion Dip
Sour cream & onion dip is always a crowdpleaser, but this hot caramelized onion cheese dip reaches a whole new level of amazingness. Heads up: if you don't have sherry, you can swap in a splash of red or white wine.
Get the French Onion Dip recipe.
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