Crock Pot French Onion Meatballs Recipe
This Crock Pot French Onion Meatballs recipe combines savory frozen meatballs with caramelized onions, a rich brown gravy, and melted Gruyere cheese for a comforting, slow-cooked meal. Perfect for busy days, it uses simple ingredients and slow cooking to develop deep flavors and a deliciously thick sauce, served ideally over rice or mashed potatoes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours (high) to 6 hours (low)
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes (high) to 6 hours 10 minutes (low)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs and Onions
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 26 ounces frozen meatballs
Sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 ounce package brown gravy mix
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Thickening Mixture and Topping
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1½ cups Gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 6-quart crock pot. Then, layer the frozen meatballs evenly over the onions to start building the flavors from the bottom up.
- Mix sauce ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the beef broth, brown gravy mix, minced garlic, black pepper, dried thyme, and white wine vinegar. Whisk until all ingredients are well incorporated to create a flavorful sauce.
- Cook meatballs: Pour the sauce mixture over the meatballs in the crock pot, ensuring even coverage. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 2½ to 3½ hours or on low for 5 to 6 hours, allowing the meatballs to absorb all the rich flavors and the onions to soften and caramelize.
- Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together corn starch and water until smooth. Pour this mixture over the meatballs and stir gently to combine. Then, sprinkle the grated Gruyere cheese evenly on top.
- Melt cheese and finish cooking: Cover the crock pot again and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the Gruyere cheese has melted into a gooey, delicious topping.
- Serve: Spoon the hot meatballs and sauce over rice or mashed potatoes for a hearty and satisfying meal. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- To prevent drying out, use a programmable slow cooker that switches to the warm setting after cooking.
- If the sauce is too thin, whisk another tablespoon of corn starch with 2 tablespoons of water and stir it into the crock pot. Cook a little longer until the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Store leftovers in a shallow airtight container with the juices and cheese in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze leftovers up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Keywords: Crock Pot meatballs, French onion meatballs, slow cooker recipes, comfort food, easy dinner, Gruyere cheese meatballs
Find it online: https://cheframi.com/crock-pot-french-onion-meatballs-recipe/
