Go Back

French Onion Potato Bake

French onion potato bake with deeply caramelized onions and a creamy beef-broth sauce, baked until tender and golden. Layered thin Yukon gold slices get topped with gruyere so it turns bubbly and stretchy right out of the oven.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, French
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes and onions
  • 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes Thinly sliced.
  • 3 large onions Thinly sliced.
  • 3 tbsp butter For caramelizing onions.
Creamy sauce
  • 2 cup beef broth For the base sauce.
  • 1 cup heavy cream For creaminess.
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme Adds herb flavor.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.
Cheese topping
  • 2 cup shredded gruyere cheese For bubbly, golden topping.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the sliced onions and cook for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
  2. Continue cooking until the onions look glossy and caramel-colored, keeping the heat medium-low throughout for maximum flavor.
Assemble and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a baking dish or casserole dish lightly so the potatoes release easily.
  2. Layer the sliced potatoes with the caramelized onions in the dish, spreading evenly so the bake cooks through uniformly.
  3. Whisk the beef broth with the heavy cream, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper, then pour the mixture over the potatoes to fill gaps between layers.
  4. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Broil finish
  1. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle with shredded gruyere cheese, then bake for 15 more minutes until golden and bubbly on top.

Notes

Slice potatoes evenly so every layer cooks at the same pace. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat at 350°F until hot. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lower-fat option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce the cheese slightly.