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French Onion Potatoes

French Onion Potatoes with jammy caramelized onions and melted Gruyere baked over golden roasted baby potatoes. Roasted first for crispy edges, then finished in the oven until the cheese is bubbling.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French-inspired
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

baby potatoes
  • 2 lb baby potatoes halved
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
salt
  • 1 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
yellow onions
  • 2 yellow onions large, thinly sliced
fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
beef broth
  • 0.25 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
shredded Gruyere
  • 1.5 cup shredded Gruyere

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Roast the potatoes
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Toss the baby potatoes with olive oil, salt, and black pepper in an oven-safe cast iron skillet until evenly coated.
  2. Roast 30-35 minutes at 425F, until golden and crispy. Keep an eye on the edges for deep browning.
Make the onion topping
  1. Cook the yellow onions in butter over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and jammy. The onions should look soft and caramelized, not pale.
  2. Stir in fresh thyme leaves, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the onions look glossy.
Bake with Gruyere
  1. Spoon the onion mixture over the roasted potatoes. Spread it to cover the surface so every bite has caramelized onions.
  2. Top with shredded Gruyere and bake 8-10 minutes at 425F, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Finish with a quick visual check for bubbling browned spots.

Notes

For the crispiest potatoes, make sure the skillet is oven-safe and hot when you start roasting, and cut the baby potatoes into even halves so they brown at the same rate. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 400F oven until warmed through and the cheese softens again (microwave works but softens the crust). Freezing isn’t recommended because potatoes can turn mealy after thawing. Dietary swap: use lactose-free Gruyere (or a lactose-free shredded Swiss-style cheese) to reduce lactose while keeping the melty texture.