Name: French Onion Ground Beef Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Beef
Ingredients: 1/4 cup unsalted butter; 5 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 3 lb.); 2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley; 2 bay leaves; 1 (16-oz.) baguette, thinly sliced; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth; 1 cup wild rice; 1 lb ground beef; 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

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This French Onion Ground Beef Casserole recipe is comfort food at it’s best! This family favorite recipe has rice and seasoned ground beef topped with bread slice and cheese! It is an easy weeknight meal that freezes great too!

After almost 6 months, the kids are heading back to school. I’m not sure I’m ready for it. I’m nervous about Covid, but I also got quite used to them being near me. I like their presence, their chatter, and their company. I can do without the never-ending dishes and the constant snacking, however!

With the start of school comes to the activities and busy evenings but I don’t want to give up on our dinners around the family table. This French Onion Ground Beef casserole is a great way to gather everyone around the table!

What Is French Onion?

This casserole gets it name from French Onion soup which is a beef-based brothy soup with soft-cooked onions and served with a slice of bread and lots of melted cheese.

What Do I Need For This Ground Beef Casserole?

Butter ( I prefer unsalted)
Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 3 lb.)
Salt
Black pepper
Thyme
Flat-leaf parsley
Bay leaves
Baguette, thinly sliced
All-purpose flour
Beef broth (reduced sodium)
Wild rice
Ground beef
Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

How to Make French Onion Ground Beef Casserole

Step One – Melt butter in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium-low; add onions, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley, and bay leaves; cook, stirring often. When the onions begin to soften, add the ground beef and continue to cook until onions are soft and golden and the beef is crumbled and no longer pink.

STEP TWO – Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly toasted, for about 10- 12 minutes. Set aside. Watch the bread closely to prevent burning.

STEP THREE – Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes. Add broth and wild rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil on low, stirring constantly, until the mixture has slightly thickened and rice has cooked.

STEP FOUR – Layer half of the toasted bread slices in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Carefully spoon the onion and beef mixture evenly over bread. Top evenly with remaining bread slices.

STEP FIVE – Sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole; cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Increase heat to broil. Remove foil; broil until cheese is bubbly, about 3 minutes (watch the casserole closely to prevent burning). Sprinkle with thyme leaves on the casserole before serving if desired.

Recipe Tips

You can use more or less onions in this recipe. 3 lbs may seem like a lot, but the onions will cook down quite a bit. You will know the onions are ready when they are caramel in color,
Feeding your family a balanced diet with nutrient-rich foods, like beef, helps support their immune system and promotes a healthy body. Beef is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is one of the most satisfying nutrients. Eating a protein-rich diet will help students feel full and prevent cravings throughout the day. I used 90% lean ground beef for this recipe, but you can use any beef you like!
Ground beef is a go-to when feeding a hungry family in a hurry, but remember not to over-mix it when preparing to cook. Over-mixing ground beef will result in burgers, meatballs or meatloaves that are too firm and compact. It might seem like you are overcooking it in this recipe, but the beef broth keeps the beef moist and flavorful!
You can easily bulk up the nutrients by adding diced bell peppers to the ground beef mixture.
If wild rice is not your thing, toss the ground beef and onion mixture with egg noodles instead.
Gruyere can be pricey, Swiss shredded cheese, or even shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese is fine for this hamburger casserole.
It is important to toast the bread before adding to the casserole to prevent then from getting too soggy,

What Should I Serve With This Ground Beef Casserole?

This recipe has lots of bold flavors so keep it simple and serve this lemony kale salad, a harvest salad, or a spinach salad with this recipe!

I know this back to school season looks very different from last year. Whether you are working from home or the office and whether or not your kids are in school or learning from home, make dinner one less thing to stress about by preparing beef ahead of time and storing meals in the freezer. The ground beef casserole can be prepped, covered and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and bake as directed.

French Onion Ground Beef Casserole

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter
5 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 3 lb.)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
1 (16-oz.) baguette, thinly sliced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 cup wild rice
1 lb ground beef
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Instructions

Melt butter in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven over medium-low; add onions, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley, and bay leaves; cook, stirring often. When the onions begin to soften, add the ground beef and continue to cook until onions are soft and golden and the beef is crumbled and no longer pink.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly toasted, for about 10- 12 minutes. Set aside. Watch the bread closely to prevent burning.
Remove the bay leaves from the onion mixture. Add flour, and cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes. Add broth and wild rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil on low, stirring constantly, until the mixture has slightly thickened and rice has cooked.
Layer half of the toasted bread slices in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Carefully spoon the onion and beef mixture evenly over bread. Top evenly with remaining bread slices.
Sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole; cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Increase heat to broil. Remove foil; broil until cheese is bubbly, about 3 minutes (watch the casserole closely to prevent burning).

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 431Total Fat 25gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 94mgSodium 969mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 2gSugar 11gProtein 26g

French Onion Ground Beef Casserole

What Is French Onion?

What Do I Need For This Ground Beef Casserole?