I spotted a recipe in 30seconds.com that looked like it should be very good with mashed potatoes, and it was, although a bit hard to serve with melted cheese everywhere. (The basic idea is meatballs simmered in a French onion soup, and then cheese mixed in and melted.)
I will describe the way we made it, consistent with the recipe, and how I think it could be slightly modified to be even better.
This will make 4 servings and will take about an hour. We served it with mashed potatoes.
As executed
For the Meatballs
½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
½ cup panko
1 egg, scrambled
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
For the sauce
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
2 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
14 oz. beef broth
1 tsp. fresh thyme (or ½ tsp. dried thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
To make the meatballs, mix together in a large bowl the cheese, panko, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix in the beef. Form into meatballs with a 1-1/2 inch scoop. There will be about 24 meatballs.
Spay a quarter sheet pan with cooking spray, spread out the meatballs on it, and bake the meatballs in the oven for about 20 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking, make the sauce. In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and reduce to medium low and cook for around 30 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly.
Add the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Check the seasoning. Add the cheese and stir it in until it is melted. Serve.
Planned version 2 – I think this will be a bit better and less messy. Add some dairy to the meatballs. Cook the onions in the same pan as the meatballs. Layer the cheese on top and broil it. This will take about 1-1/2 hours as the meatballs and onion soup will be done sequentially instead of in parallel.
For the Meatballs
½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
½ cup panko
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg, scrambled
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
For the sauce
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
2 large onions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
14 oz. beef broth
1 tsp. fresh thyme (or ½ tsp. dried thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
To make the meatballs, mix together in a large bowl the gruyere cheese, ricotta, panko, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix in the beef. Form into meatballs with a 1-1/2 inch scoop. There will be about 24 meatballs.
Select an ovenproof skillet big enough to hold the meatballs in a single layer. Sray it with cooking spray, spread out the meatballs on it, and bake the meatballs in the oven for about 20 minutes.
Remove the hot skillet from the oven, handling it carefully. Remove the meatballs to a bowl. Pour off the fat in the skillet.
On the stove, add the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions and reduce to medium low and cook for around 30 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden, scraping the bottom to loosen all the browned bits. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly.
Preheat the broiler.
Add the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Check the seasoning. Add the cheese to the top. Put the skillet in the broiler and broil until the cheese layer is melted and browned. Remove from the oven carefully and serve.