Chef notes
Some recipes take a long time to make just because of how long they take to cook, but they are quite hands-off. Caramelized onions are one of those delayed gratification type of recipes that take a while, don’t require much oversight and are well worth the wait. These French onion sandwiches have all the components of the soup version but just in a sandwich, and are made to impress at your next get-together or even for a low-key Sunday brunch.
The secret to a great grilled cheese is to toast it low and slow. I like to toast one side of both pieces of bread, build the sandwich and then toast both sides of the sandwich to get the ultimate crispiness. To make it less laborious, place the built sandwiches in a 400 F oven for 4 minutes rather than toasting each one.
Swap option: You can use Emmenthal instead of Gruyere.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound red onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 4 tablespoons white wine
- 10 pieces thick-sliced bread
- 5 tablespoons butter, room temp, divided
- 2½ shredded Gruyere, divided
Preparation
1. Preheat a large pot with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add all the onions with the salt and stir until softened.
Add the sprigs of thyme.
Cover the pot with a lid and let the onions caramelize until they are dark golden brown for about 45 minutes, stirring every so often to ensure the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
3.Once the onions are caramelized, deglaze the pan with the white wine and continue to cook until all the alcohol evaporates. Set the caramelized onions aside.
4.Butter each side of bread with 1/2 tablespoon of room temperature butter and toast one side for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly golden brown.
5.Place the toasted sides of 5 slices of bread facing upwards. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Gruyere cheese on each slice of bread, followed by 1/4 cup of caramelized onions and another 1/4 cup of Gruyere. Place the toasted sides of the rest of the 5 slices of bread over the cheese.
6.In a preheated nonstick pan, toast each sandwich for 3 to 4 minutes per side on medium-low heat until the cheese is melted.
7.Cut each sandwich into quarters to turn them into savory petit fours for your next event.
