15+ Ultra-Comforting French Onion Recipes

French Onion Soup Recipe

Once you try this French Onion Soup recipe, you'll never try another. Caramelized, melt-in-your-mouth onions, crusty bread, and melted cheese make for a hearty and rich soup that’s worth the wait. You’ll want to let it simmer the full two hours for the ultimate blending of flavors. Perfect for a cold day, this classic soup is comfort food at its best. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, this also works as a crock pot soup recipe! This recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner. 

French Onion Stuffed Peppers Recipe

This decadent twist on the classic stuffed bell pepper is sure to be fast favorite. Inspired by a bowl of intensely savory and satisfying French onion soup, these stuffed peppers feature a rich gravy that coats the beef and rice filling, as well as gooey gruyere cheese, and toasty sourdough bread.

French Onion Pot Pie Recipe

It turns out that you can improve French onion soup. Just add a pie crust and shredded beef. It’s savory, yet wonderfully sweet caramelized onions and calvados add the perfect note of rich balance. Of course, the Gruyere-bread topping remains one of the best parts of the whole experience.

French Onion Soup With Ham Recipe

Classic French onion soup gets a tasty upgrade with leftover ham. Though you might be tempted to add a little sugar to speed up the caramelization of the onions, resist; there are few culinary delights that equal the rich savory-sweet balance of slowly caramelized onions. A dash of sherry cuts through the rich soup with just the right amount of tang.

French Onion Turkey Breast Recipe

Caramelized onions become the base for a gravy that tastes like the best French onion soup ever. The bone keeps the breast meat moist. If you leave the skin on, it adds 20 calories and 1g sat fat per serving.

French Onion Mashed Potatoes  Recipe

Classic buttermilk mashed potatoes are great, but if you’re looking to really wow, French Onion Mashed Potatoes are what you need. Perfect for a holiday dinner or other special occasion, these decadent, cheesy mashed potatoes are infused with the rich and comforting flavors of French onion soup. The onions, which are slowly caramelized with thyme and sherry to develop their incredible signature flavor, can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. With finishing touches of nutty Gruyere cheese and a sprinkle of crispy onions for a little textural contrast, our French Onion Mashed Potatoes are ready to steal the spotlight (not to mention, a few hearts) at any table. And for a special twist, try serving the mashed potatoes in individual bubbling ramekins.

French Onion Soup Casserole Recipe

This hearty, homey take on French onion soup celebrates Georgia-grown Vidalia onions, which typically come into season in late April. Naturally sweet Vidalias are perfect for caramelizing, and this indulgent casserole with layers of bread, onions, and cheese is a terrific way to enjoy them. We didn’t think French onion soup could get any more comforting, but we took the Southern route and made it into an even cozier casserole. This dish amplifies the richness of the classic soup you crave, and it’s ideal to serve as a hearty family dinner or pack up and bring to the church potluck. It takes time to slice and caramelize the onions, but you can do this step a day ahead and store the cooked onions in the refrigerator.

French Onion Dip with Sweet Potato Chips Recipe

Ditch the sodium-bomb seasoning packets and sour cream-and-mayonnaise–laden dip (which can pack a small meal’s worth of calories and sat fat into a single serving) for our homemade dip. And be patient with the caramelizing process—slowly sizzled onions have noteworthy sweetness and concentrated umami. You’ll know the onions are done when they become deep chestnut in color and nearly melt-in-your-mouth tender. And because no dip is complete without a dipper, baked sweet potatoes will satisfy your chip craving for half the calories of most bagged varieties. Dehydrating the potatoes in the oven before roasting helps them develop crispy edges and tender centers. With big flavor and less heft, our healthier ode to the classic is a delicious way to sneak in extra vegetables.

French Onion Roast Chicken Recipe

Make a big batch of this juicy roast chicken and caramelized onions and you've got enough for three meals. Save the leftovers to make Thai Chicken Pizza the next night, and Chicken and Herb Crêpes the night after!  

French Onion Soup with Barley Recipe

We've updated the classic soup with whole-grain barley, whose hearty chew is a tasty addition. Pearl barley may be quick-cooking, but it's not whole grain; choose whole-grain barley here, sometimes labeled "hulled barley" and often found in the bulk foods section.

French Onion Soup Bites Recipe

Easy to assemble and perfectly portable, these French Onion Soup bites are the perfect addition to any holiday party spread. They’re like your favorite Trader Joe’s freezer aisle find, but tastier. 

French Onion Cheese Ball Recipe

Rather than serving French Onion soup topped with bread to a crowd, serve a more easily-shared, portable version with all of the same flavor. A  French Onion Cheese Ball with toasted baguette slices makes the perfect game-watching appetizer and it much less likely to spill during the celebration of a big play. 

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup Recipe

This slow cooker french onion soup is so easy and delicious, you’ll never return to your stovetop ways. The slow cooker completely eliminates the stirring element of caramelizing onions. After hours in the low heat, the sliced onions will become soft and jammy with a rich, dark brown coloring—no attention necessary. Although you’ll need to start this soup the morning of, you’ll gain nine hours of enticing aromas that will warm your kitchen on a chilly winter day. If you don’t plan to eat it all, freeze the bag of soup in a bowl rather than laying it flat, so it will fit in the saucepan when it's time to thaw. Get ready for this slow cooker french onion soup to be the most requested dish in your house.

French Onion Grilled Cheese Recipe

One of our favorite comfort foods—French onion soup—meets crowd-pleasing grilled cheese in a sandwich that’s got the flavors of both dishes, minus a lot of the traditional sodium and sat fat. Silky caramelized onions are the star here: their pungent, concentrated flavor means that just a touch of Gruyere is more than enough to make this sandwich sing. The other key? Shaving the cheese with a Microplane, which allows the cheese to distribute its melty goodness evenly, and makes just a bit of cheese feel like a lot.

Classic French Onion Soup Recipe

Don’t have Sauvignon Blanc on hand? Feel free to substitute for a similar dry white such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, or Pinot Blanc. Higher acidity is the key to cooking with vino.

French Onion Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

This French Onion Pull-Apart Bread takes all the savory and cheesy highlights of French onion soup and improves them by adding an entire baguette into the mixture. That’s right, French onion soup you can eat with your fingers. Your secret weapon? Store-bought onion jam, which sheds the time it takes to caramelize your own onions. Be sure not to cut the baguette all the way through or the bread will lose its pull-apart effect.