French onion soup's flavor built into a hearty beef-and-noodle bake, topped with gruyère that browns like the crust on a crock of soup. The caramelized onions are worth the time.
Ingredients
- 1½ lb ground beef
- 3 onions, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2½ cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 12 oz egg noodles
- 2 cups shredded gruyère (or swiss)
Instructions
- Melt the butter and cook the onions low and slow until deeply caramelized, ~20 minutes. Add the garlic in the last minute.
- Meanwhile, boil the egg noodles 2 minutes short of done; drain. Brown the beef separately and drain.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir 1 minute, then whisk in the broth, Worcestershire, and thyme and simmer until thickened.
- Fold in the beef and noodles, spread into the dish, top with gruyère, and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes until bubbly and browned.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Freeze up to 3 months. Reheat portions in the toaster oven at 350°F for ~20 minutes. The caramelized-onion base freezes especially well.
Notes
A splash of dry sherry or white wine deglazing the onions deepens the French onion character. Toasted baguette crumbs under the cheese add a crouton-like crunch.