French onion grilled cheese is my love language.
I’m thrilled to share the very first recipe from The Pretty Dish: Gruyere French Onion Grilled Cheese with Thyme Butter. It’s rich, cheesy, and full of deeply caramelized onions. The bread toasts up golden and buttery, while the thyme butter adds an herbaceous finish that elevates the whole sandwich.
As I mention in the book, when I was a kid I would order French onion soup just for the bread and melted cheese. I didn’t care much for the onions then, but now I savor every component — especially the molten, savory cheese. This grilled cheese is a tribute to that comforting combination.
The key to this sandwich is slow-cooked onions. They caramelize over about 30 to 40 minutes (or longer if you prefer), concentrating their sweetness and adding deep, savory flavor. Those onions get tucked between layers of gruyere — a cheese that melts beautifully and pairs perfectly with the caramelized onion. The thyme butter spread on the outside of the bread crisps up in the skillet and adds an aromatic note that makes each bite irresistible.
If fresh thyme is hard to find, dried thyme works as a substitute and still delivers great flavor. For a faster approach, you can add a pinch of brown sugar toward the end of cooking to speed up caramelization, though the deepest flavor comes from taking the time to slowly cook the onions.
The Pretty Dish will be released soon, and I’m so proud of how it turned out — the recipes, the photography, and the way it all looks together. Many recipes are designed to be quick (most in 30 minutes or less), but some, like this grilled cheese, benefit from a little extra time. You don’t have to fully caramelize the onions if you’re short on time; a quicker method will still yield a delicious sandwich.
Gruyere French Onion Grilled Cheese with Thyme Butter
Pin Recipe
Leave a Review »
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion very thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 6 ounces gruyere cheese freshly grated or sliced
- thyme butter for spreading
Thyme Butter
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- pinch salt
Instructions
-
Heat a large pot over low heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the onions, thyme and salt, stirring well. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and caramelized, about 30 to 40 minutes or longer.
-
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the outsides of the bread with the thyme butter. On the inside of one slice, add grated cheese, a spoonful of caramelized onions, and more cheese. Top with the other slice of bread. Repeat with remaining bread.
-
Cook the sandwiches in the skillet until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown on both sides. Serve immediately.
Thyme Butter
-
Stir the butter, chopped thyme and a pinch of salt together in a bowl. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on Instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!
Can’t I just live inside there?