Crockpot French Onion Meatballs
These easy Crockpot French onion meatballs are cooked from frozen in a rich onion gravy, thickened with a simple cornstarch slurry, and finished with melted Gruyère cheese. Serve them as an easy dinner or warm party appetizer.
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Servings: 6 serving
Ingredients
- 26 ounce frozen fully cooked meatballs
- 10.5 ounce can condensed French onion soup
- 1 packet French onion soup mix
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth or water
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese grated
- fresh thyme for garnish
For thickening (cornstarch slurry)
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Place the frozen meatballs directly into the slow cooker. There is no need to thaw them first.
- In a bowl, whisk together the condensed French onion soup, onion soup mix, and beef broth until combined.
- Pour the French onion mixture over the meatballs and gently stir to coat them in the sauce.
- Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the meatballs are hot throughout.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir the slurry again immediately before adding it to prevent settled cornstarch from remaining at the bottom.
- Pour the slurry into the slow cooker and gently stir it into the sauce. The sauce should begin thickening quickly. Continue cooking on high for 5 to 10 minutes if needed.
- Turn off the slow cooker or reduce it to the warm setting.
- Sprinkle the grated Gruyère evenly over the meatballs. Cover and allow the cheese to melt for about 10 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve warm.
Notes
- Use fully cooked frozen meatballs for this recipe. Raw frozen meatballs may require a different cooking time and additional food-safety precautions.
- The onions in the condensed French onion soup provide the best texture for this short cooking time. Raw onions will not have enough time to caramelize and develop the flavor traditionally associated with French onion soup.
- French onion soup mix can sometimes be difficult to find. Regular onion soup mix will work, but use beefy onion soup mix when available for a deeper beef flavor.
- Water can be substituted for the beef broth. The condensed soup and seasoning packet provide enough beef and onion flavor to keep the sauce from tasting bland.
- Mozzarella can be substituted for Gruyère for a milder and more affordable cheese topping. Provolone will also work.
- To cook on low, cover and cook for approximately 3 to 4 hours, or until the meatballs are hot throughout. Add the slurry and cheese near the end as directed.
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