French Onion Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Dipping Broth

French Onion Grilled Cheese

Take everything you love about a steaming bowl of French onion soup and press it between two slices of buttery toasted bread.

That is the whole idea behind this French Onion Grilled Cheese, a cozier and slightly more grown up spin on a classic comfort food.

Instead of a thin square of processed cheese, you get a generous layer of melted Gruyere, a tangle of sweet caramelized red onions, and a small bowl of savory broth waiting on the side for dipping. Dip, bite, repeat.

It is not a hard recipe, but it is an honest one. Caramelizing onions takes patience, and the onions need roughly 35 minutes in the Dutch oven before they turn jammy and deep amber.

From there you build the broth and toast the sandwiches, which brings the whole thing to about 1 hour 5 minutes, with 15 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking.

The recipe makes 2 to 3 grilled cheeses, so it is just right for a small household or a very hungry pair.

Why add a broth at all? Because that little bowl is what turns a good sandwich into something that tastes like a deconstructed French onion soup sandwich.

You get the toasty bread, the gooey cheese, the sweet onions, and then a warm, savory sip in between bites. It is the detail that makes people stop mid chew and ask what is in it.

This recipe is adapted from A Seasoned Greeting, which keeps the process simple: one Dutch oven, a handful of everyday ingredients, and a little time on the stove. You can see the original here: French Onion Grilled Cheese from A Seasoned Greeting.

Plan the onions first. Those 35 minutes of slow cooking are where almost all of the flavor in this sandwich is built.

WHAT ONIONS TO CARAMELIZE

Here is a question worth answering before you slice anything: which onion should you caramelize? Yellow, white, and red onions will all soften and sweeten in a hot pot, so there is no truly wrong answer. Many French onion recipes reach for yellow onions, and they do the job beautifully.

This recipe goes a different route and calls for red onions, and there is a good reason for it. Red onions caramelize into a deep, glossy color that yellow onions simply cannot match.

Yellow onions tend to drift toward a mustardy beige as they cook, which tastes fine but looks a little dull next to a golden, cheesy sandwich. Red onions bring that rich mahogany look to the plate.

There is a flavor argument too. The source recipe notes a preference for the extra flavor caramelized red onions bring, especially when they are paired with nutty, melty Gruyere. The sweetness of the onions and the savory edge of the cheese play off each other nicely.

You will need 4 red onions, sliced thin. A thin slice helps them collapse and soften evenly instead of staying chunky, and it makes them easier to pile onto bread later. Once they are done, a small sprinkle of salt is all they need.

GRILLED CHEESE DIPPING BROTH

Most French onion grilled cheese recipes stop at the sandwich. This one keeps going and adds a dipping broth, and that is the part that makes it memorable. Think of it as French onion soup you can dunk into: all the savory depth of the soup, delivered in a warm little bowl next to your plate.

Making it is quick because the pot is already dirty. After the caramelized onions are spooned into a bowl and set aside, the same Dutch oven gets 2 tablespoons of salted butter, which begins to deglaze the bottom of the pot and lifts up all those browned onion bits.

Whisk in 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, then add the dried thyme, the sherry wine, the beef broth, and the pepper. Stir everything together and heat over medium for 3 to 5 minutes, just until it thickens slightly into a dipping consistency.

Pour it into a bowl and set it aside until the sandwiches are ready.

One note about salt: the source recipe does not add any, because a can of beef broth already brings a good amount of sodium to the pot. Taste the broth first and add salt only if you feel it needs it.

Ingredients for French Onion Grilled Cheese

The ingredient list splits neatly into two groups: the sandwich and the dipping broth. Nothing here is hard to find, and a well stocked grocery store should cover all of it in one trip.

For the Grilled Cheese

• 4 red onions, sliced thin
• 4 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 to 6 slices hearty white bread
• 3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar

For the dipping broth

• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sherry wine
• 1 can beef broth, 14.5 ounces
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

That makes 2 to 3 grilled cheeses, depending on how generously you pile on the cheese and the onions.

How to Make French Onion Grilled Cheese, Step by Step

Four steps, one Dutch oven, and one pan. Here is how it all comes together.

1. Caramelize the onions. In a Dutch oven, melt the 4 tablespoons of salted butter over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions and stir to coat them in the butter. Sprinkle the teaspoon of sugar over the top. Cook over medium heat, alternating between medium and medium low so the onions do not burn. Stir occasionally. You want to give them time to sit on the bottom of the pot to get browned, but stir often enough to keep them from scorching. Cook for 35 minutes, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then spoon the onions into a bowl and set aside.
2. Make the dipping broth. To the same Dutch oven, add the 2 tablespoons of butter to begin deglazing the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour, then add the thyme, sherry, beef broth, and pepper. Stir to combine, then heat over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens slightly into a dipping consistency. Pour it into a bowl and set it aside until the grilled cheeses are done.
3. Build the grilled cheeses. Butter each side of the hearty bread and add it to a pan over medium heat. Once the first side is browned and toasted, flip the bread. Add as much cheese and as many caramelized onions as you like to one slice, then top with the other slice of bread. Keep toasting until the cheese has melted.
4. Slice and serve. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve them with a bowl of the dipping broth on the side.

A timing note before you start: the onions are the long part, so begin there and do not rush them. The broth takes only a few minutes once the pot is free, and the sandwiches themselves are quick, since you are really just toasting bread and melting cheese.

Tips for Caramelized Onions and Melty Gruyere

A few small habits make a big difference here.

• Play with the heat. Alternating between medium and medium low is the trick that keeps onions browning instead of burning. If the bottom of the pot starts looking dark too fast, drop the heat.
• Stir, but not constantly. The onions need contact with the hot bottom of the pot to develop color. Stir occasionally rather than nonstop.
• Give it the full 35 minutes. Rushing this step gives you soft onions, not caramelized ones. The sweetness comes from time.
• Salt at the end. The onions get their sprinkle of salt after they come off the heat, not before.
• Use hearty white bread. A sturdy slice holds up to a dunk in warm broth far better than thin, soft sandwich bread.
• Butter both sides of the bread. That is what gives you an even golden crust outside while the cheese melts inside.
• Taste the broth before salting. The beef broth is already seasoned, so taste it first and adjust only if needed.
• Keep the broth warm. Pour it into a bowl and set it aside while you toast the sandwiches so it is still warm when you sit down to eat.

Serving Your French Onion Grilled Cheese

Slice each sandwich in half, pile them on plates, and put a bowl of the dipping broth within reach. The broth is meant for dunking, so do not be shy about it.

Two to three sandwiches come out of this recipe, which is a comfortable lunch for two or a lighter meal for three when you add something simple on the side.

If you enjoy the deep, savory flavor of caramelized onions, this sandwich sits in the same family as a classic French Onion Soup, just in a handheld form.

And if you like the idea of a grilled cheese that goes a little further than the usual, this Spaghetti Grilled Cheese Sandwich takes the same comfort food idea in a completely different direction.

Warm, gooey, and a little bit elegant, this is the kind of sandwich that turns a plain Tuesday lunch into something worth sitting down for. Give the onions their full 35 minutes, and the rest takes care of itself. It is worth the wait, I promise.

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French Onion Grilled Cheese Take everything you love about a steaming bowl of French onion soup and press it between two slices of buttery toasted bread. That is the whole idea behind this French Onion Grilled Cheese, a cozier and slightly more grown up spin on a classic comfort food.

• Total Time: 65 min
• Yield: 2 – 3 grilled cheeses 1x

Ingredients

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For the Grilled Cheese
4 red onions, sliced thin
4 tablespoons salted butter
4–6 slices hearty white bread
3 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon sugar

For the dipping broth
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup sherry wine
1 can beef broth, 14.5oz can
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

1-In a Dutch oven, melt the 4: In a Dutch oven, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the teaspoon of sugar. Cook over medium heat, alternating between medium and medium low to prevent the onions from burning. Stir occasionally, you want to give them time to sit on the bottom of the pot to get browned, but stirring enough to prevent burning. Cook for 35 minutes, sprinkle with a bit of salt then spoon into a bowl and set aside.
2-To make the dipping broth, to the: To make the dipping broth, to the same Dutch oven add the 2 tablespoons of butter to begin to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour, then the thyme, sherry, beef broth, and pepper. Stir to combine then heat over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until it slightly thickens into a dipping consistency. Pour into a bowl and set aside until the grilled cheeses are done.
3-To make the grilled cheeses, butter each: To make the grilled cheeses, butter each side of the hearty bread and add to a pan over medium heat. Once the first side is browned and toasted, flip the bread and to one side add as much cheese and onions as you’d like, then top with the other slice of bread. Continue to toast until the cheese has melted.
4-Slice and serve with a bowl of: Slice and serve with a bowl of the dipping broth.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 50 min
• Method: Saute