French Onion–Stuffed Onions

Stuffing an onion with more onion may seem like overkill — that is, until you bite into this rich and savory dish by F&W food editor Paige Grandjean. The onions hold their shape during baking, while the juices from the vegetable and the caramelized onions that are packed into the slightly hollowed center are soaked up into a slice of sourdough bread. Topped with Gruyère that melts over the roasted onion, the whole dish becomes a fork-and-steak-knife version of French onion soup gratinée. Try this recipe with a yellow onion or red onion — either will work with wonderful results. Overall, it’s an inviting dish that will turn heads at the table. Serve it as a vegetarian main course or as a side dish. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Choose nicely uniform onions for even cooking. Onions that are more squat in shape (instead of long) are good, as they will have a wider opening for easier stuffing.

Don’t be afraid to really pile it up when assembling the onions (even if it looks a bit precarious). It may look like a lot, but the cheese melts down, and it’s nice to be able to see bits of the onion filling and the cheese spilling out and down the sides.

Make ahead

Onions can be prepared through step 1 and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

You can hollow out the onions up to one day in advance. Store them airtight in the fridge (and don’t forget to save the chopped-up insides).