Ingredients
1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
1 ½ pounds ground beef with an 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
About 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
About ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
½ large white onion, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
¾ cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided use
1 egg, whisked
1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
2 ½ large white onions, halved and sliced
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup sherry or white wine
1 ½ tablespoons flour
2 ¼ cups beef stock
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
1-First, mix the ground beef with the soaked breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic, ¼ cup Gruyere cheese, and whisked egg. Be gentle to avoid overmixing, which keeps the texture light and enjoyable.
2-Shape the mixture into meatballs using about 2 tablespoons per ball, then chill them for 15 minutes to firm up.
3-Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides for 8 to 10 minutes.
4-For the sauce, add the remaining olive oil and ghee or butter to the skillet, then cook the sliced onions with salt and pepper for 20 to 25 minutes until they turn deeply caramelized. For more details on caramelizing, check out the right way to caramelize onions.
5-Stir in garlic, herbes de Provence, and dried thyme for 30 seconds, deglaze with sherry or wine, and reduce. Add flour, stir, then whisk in beef stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
6-Nestle the meatballs into the sauce, top with the remaining Gruyere and mozzarella cheese, and broil for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
🔥 Use 85/15 lean ground beef for juiciness and flavor.
🧅 Cook onions slowly to develop deep caramelized flavor.
🍷 If you don’t have sherry or wine, replace with extra beef stock for richness.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Meatball chilling time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking and Broiling
- Cuisine: French-inspired
- Diet: Gluten-Free option (use gluten-free breadcrumbs)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-5 meatballs
- Calories: 669 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg