French Onion Soup au Gratin Stuffed Meatballs

By Karenna

Ingredients

• For the onions:
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (I used Gallo Family Pinot Noir)
• For the meatballs:
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs or ground oats (gluten free, if needed)
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese (about 1-2 oz into sixteen approximately half-inch cubes, to stuff the meatballs, the remainder shredded)
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
• For the sauce:
• 1 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup red wine (I used Gallo Family Pinot Noir)
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• salt & pepper, to taste

Details

Adapted from cupcakesandkalechips.com

Preparation

Step 1

1.In a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat, saute onions and butter stirring occasionally until golden brown and caramelized.
2.Add the thyme, salt, water, bouillon, and wine. Cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Let cool.
3.Combine the milk soaked bread, ½ cup panko, parsley, pepper, salt, and egg in a bowl and mix together until everything is a happy gloopy mess. Mix in the ground beef with your hands until the gloopy mess is evenly distributed into the meat. If necessary to make the meat formable, mix in additional ¼ cup of panko.
4.Grab a small handful of the meat and flatten in your palm. Add some cheese and onions, and fold meat over and around it, sealing the edges as best as you can. This is a messy process. Repeat until all meat has been stuffed.
5.In a large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides. Remove to an oven safe dish when browned. Don't worry about these cooking all the way through. They will finish cooking in the oven.
6.Make sauce by combining all ingredients in a saucepan, and simmering for 10 minutes. Pour over meatballs, and top the meatballs with any extra onions, with the shredded mozzarella cheese, and any extra provolone you didn't use to stuff the meatballs.
7.Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, Remove, top with fresh chopped parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes.