Description
Delicious Cheesy French Onion Meatball Subs featuring caramelized onions, juicy beef meatballs simmered in a savory broth, and melted Gruyère cheese served on toasted hoagie rolls. Perfect for a comforting American-style main course meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramelized Onions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce & Assembly
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 hoagie rolls or sub rolls
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (or Swiss)
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Caramelize the Onions: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook while stirring often for 15-20 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized and golden brown. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove onions from the skillet and set aside.
- Prepare the Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, minced garlic, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined to avoid tough meatballs. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
- Brown the Meatballs: In the same skillet, add a little more olive oil if necessary. Brown the meatballs over medium heat on all sides, about 5-6 minutes total. Remove excess fat from the skillet before continuing.
- Make the Sauce: Sprinkle the flour over the browned meatballs and stir well to coat. Slowly add beef broth, stirring to combine, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the caramelized onions to the skillet and cook everything together for 10-12 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and the meatballs to cook through.
- Assemble the Subs: Preheat your broiler. Place the meatballs and caramelized onions, along with some of the thickened sauce, inside the hoagie rolls. Generously sprinkle shredded Gruyère cheese on top.
- Broil and Serve: Place the assembled subs under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your comforting cheesy French onion meatball subs.
Notes
- To save time, you can use frozen meatballs and jarred caramelized onions.
- Gruyère cheese can be substituted with provolone or mozzarella if preferred or unavailable.
- Make sure not to overmix the meatball mixture to keep them tender.
- The balsamic vinegar adds a nice tang, but it’s optional if you want a milder onion flavor.
- If you prefer spicier subs, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the onions while caramelizing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sub
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
