French Onion Skillet Eggs Gratin

Ingredients

• 2 lb onions (Halved and sliced through the root end 1/4 inch thick)
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (Divided)
• 0.25 cup water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar (Packed)
• 2 tsp fresh thyme (Minced; alternatively use 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1.25 tsp table salt (Divided)
• 0.5 cup dry sherry
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2.5 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 0.75 tsp black pepper (Divided)
• 8 oz baguette (Cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 8 large eggs
• 6 oz fontina cheese (Shredded)
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese (Shredded)

Steps

1. 1

   Adjust an oven rack to 6 inches below the broiler element and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Use a 12-inch oven-safe skillet.

2. 2

   Add the onions, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, water, brown sugar, thyme, and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the onions are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. 4

   Uncover the skillet and continue cooking, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the onions are deeply browned, 6 to 10 minutes longer.

5. 5

   Stir in the sherry, scraping up the browned bits. Cook over medium heat until the sherry has evaporated, about 3 minutes.

6. 6

   Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute so the flour loses its raw taste.

7. 7

   Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the remaining salt, scraping the skillet bottom as you stir. Simmer, stirring often, until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

8. 8

   Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the onion mixture has the consistency of thin gravy, about 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

9. 9

   Meanwhile, toss the baguette cubes with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a rimmed baking sheet.

10. 10

    Bake the baguette cubes until golden and crisp, 15 to 18 minutes. Leave the croutons on the baking sheet to cool.

11. 11

    Heat the broiler. Crack 1 egg into a small bowl, then pour it into the center of the onion gravy. Repeat with the remaining 7 eggs, spacing them evenly around the skillet.

12. 12

    Return the skillet to medium heat and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, rotating the skillet as needed for even cooking, until the egg whites are set and mostly opaque, 4 to 6 minutes.

13. 13

    Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the croutons evenly over the eggs and gravy, followed by the shredded fontina and Parmesan.

14. 14

    Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Watch closely because the cheese can brown quickly. Serve immediately.

Notes

The recipe uses water, salt, oil, and a little brown sugar to speed the initial softening and browning of the onions. Use an oven-safe skillet and broil only until the cheese melts. The eggs are best served immediately while the whites are set and the yolks remain tender.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• French-inspired
• one-pan
• skillet
• eggs
• comfort food
• broiled
• cheesy