French Onion Chicken Meatballs

We think everything can be improved by adding meatballs to it. Even French onion soup. It turns an appetizer soup into a full meal, and don't worry, we added even more cheese to it. Gruyère goes into the meatballs and then the whole thing gets topped with more of it before serving. And of course, there's plenty of caramelized onions.

French Onion Chicken Meatballs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hours

Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE MEATBALLS

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, for baking sheet
1 lb. ground chicken
1/2 c. shredded Gruyère
1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE

4 tbsp. butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. low-sodium beef broth
2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. shredded Gruyère

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub with oil.
Make meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Gruyère, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 16 meatballs, then place on prepared baking sheet and bake until golden and cooked through, 25 minutes.
Meanwhile make sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until very soft and golden, 25 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add broth and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.
Add meatballs to skillet and sprinkle with Gruyère. Cover and cook until meatballs are warmed through and cheese is melty, 5 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with thyme.