This saucy French onion meatballs and orzo skillet dinner is loaded with jammy-sweet caramelized onions topped with melty Gruyère cheese for the ultimate comfort food dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Keyword French onion meatballs
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 32 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour2 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Calories 503kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1large egg
½poundground beef
½poundground pork
¼cupPanko
⅓cupshredded Gruyère cheese
2clovesgarlicminced
2tablespoonsmilk
½tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1 ½teaspoonsfresh thyme leaves
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonblack pepper
For the onions and orzo
3tablespoonsbutter
3large Vidalia onions (2 pounds), halved and thinly sliced
3teaspoonsfresh thyme leaves, divided
½teaspoon kosher salt
2tablespoonsflour
½cupdry white wine
3 ½ cupsbeef stock, (I prefer Better Than Bouillon Beef Base, disolved in water, per label instructions)
1cupuncooked orzo pasta
⅔cupsshredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
For the meatballs:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk the egg well in a large bowl and then add all of the rest of the meatball ingredients. Mix well with your hands (they’re your best tool!). Use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture and form into balls, arranging them in an even layer on the sheet pan (You should have about 25). Bake the meatballs until cooked through and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the oven and set aside while you caramelize your onions.
For the onions and orzo:
Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) over medium heat, and add the butter. Once melted, add the sliced onions, 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves, and salt, and sauté, stirring so they don’t crisp or brown in spots. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the onions are nice and jammy, giving off a rich nutty aroma, and stirring them every few minutes, to prevent burning. If the onions look like they’re beginning to burn or crisp, stir in a splash of water and scrape the caramelized fond from the bottom of the skillet for the onions to absorb.
Add the flour to the onions and stir well to combine, cooking for 1 minute to cook the flour. Then, whisk in the white wine to deglaze. Next, stir in the beef stock, 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves, and ½ teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer over medium-low. Stir in the orzo and cook for about 10-12 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente, frequently stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to make sure the orzo doesn’t stick.
Arrange the top rack of your oven so it’s directly under your broiler. Turn the broiler on low. Nestle the cooked meatballs into the skillet, top with shredded Gruyère, and place in the oven, under a low broil for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme.