This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #ad
Wow friends and family with this ooey, gooey, cheesy mash-up: French Onion Bruschetta! Onions cook down and caramelize before soaking up beef broth. Season with thyme, then scoop the onions onto sliced bread. Sprinkle with two types of Borden® Cheese and broil until browned and gooey. The creamy caramelized onions and cheese pair beautifully with crusty bread. French Onion Bruschetta is sure to become a new favorite appetizer or entree.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved working in the kitchen, and the older I get, the more I enjoy making food for my family and friends.
Cooking has always been about sharing love and telling stories for me, and this rings true now more than ever.
Whenever I’m preparing a meal, I put on music so I can sing and dance.
As I’m sure you can imagine, kitchen singing and dancing can be downright humorous. And I’ve made my fair share of mistakes while doing so, including one that I repeat weekly.
Y’all want to guess what it is?
Singing while chopping onions.
We love onions, but chopping them gets me every time. So most evenings as I bop and sing, tears stream down my face.
One of the first times my husband saw this, he thought I’d hurt myself. Nowadays, he just shakes his head and laughs as I cry through the chopping portion of prep.
These days, food preparation is a family affair. Instead of me working alone, our toddler joins in. She loves music, singing and dancing… and she loves being in the kitchen with her mama, too.
If I need broccoli transferred from the cutting board to a (cold) pan? She’s my girl. Want something measured out? She’s got it covered, even though half the ingredients might end up on the floor in the process.
We have a blast as we create meals together. I remember doing the same with my parents, and I hope this instills a lifelong love of cooking and food in her.
This French Onion Bruschetta was inspired by our toddler. She loves soup, but it’s a messy endeavor. I wanted to take a favorite wintertime dish and transform it into something that was easier for everyone to enjoy. Since bread is another household favorite, I decided French Onion Bruschetta would be a winner.
Unsurprisingly, she loved it. So did my husband, and so did I… and I can easily see this dish becoming a part of our meal rotation because it’s quick and utterly delicious.
I headed to my local Fiesta store to grab onions, bread, thyme, beef broth, and Borden® Cheese to make this soup-bruschetta mash-up.
I love using Borden® Cheese in my recipes. The cheese’s meltiness is the stuff dreams are made of, and since French Onion calls for that kind of melty ooey-gooey goodness, I knew I needed to find Borden® Cheese.
I’m so glad I picked some up because look how it melted and browned up on top of those onions! SO good!
For this recipe, I selected two different cheeses – Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds and Borden® Cheese Swiss Slices – from the dairy section, thinking the mellow mozzarella would balance out the Swiss cheese’s stronger flavor and be a good fit for our toddler.
If you’re interested in finding Borden® Cheese in your neck of the woods, check out their handy dandy store locator and pick up a package or two at your local grocery.
French Onion Bruschetta is surprisingly a quick meal to pull together. It’s not one that requires babysitting. Caramelizing the onions takes the most time and attention.
Also, French Onion Bruschetta is a fun dish to make with your children. While my toddler isn’t old enough to chop onions or caramelize them on the stovetop, she is old enough to sprinkle the cheese on before we pop the bruschetta in the broiler. 🙂
Once the bruschetta is out of the broiler, it needs to cool for 5-10 minutes, then it’s ready to be devoured!
Let’s talk about bruschetta!
Bruschetta is a simple Italian appetizer that is toasted bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The bread can be toasted in either the oven or on the grill.
Traditionally, it’s this toasty bread (with the garlic and EVOO) is topped with fresh tomatoes (if they’re in season) and a pinch of salt. Since the bread is toasted/grilled, it holds up to the juiciness of the fresh tomato.
This classic Italian recipe hails from Tuscany, though bruschetta is made all over Italy with fresh, seasonal ingredients! (Want to learn more? I loved reading about bruschetta from La Cucina Italiana.)
Now, obviously, this bruschetta recipe strays from the classic, but I hope that the celebration of a seasonal ingredient on a delicious slice of bread speaks to you and your tastebuds.
French Onion Bruschetta
Wow friends and family with this ooey, gooey, cheesy mash-up: French Onion Bruschetta! Onions cook down and caramelize before soaking up beef broth. Season with thyme, then scoop the onions onto sliced bread. Sprinkle with two types of Borden® Cheese and broil until browned and gooey. The creamy caramelized onions and cheese pair beautifully with crusty bread. French Onion Bruschetta is sure to become a new favorite appetizer or entree.
Ingredients
- 4 small onions, (about 4 ½ cups), sliced thin
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus more for serving
- ½ loaf crusty French bread, sliced into ½” thick slices
- 4 oz. Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds
- 2 ½ oz. Borden® Cheese Swiss Slices
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When warm, pour in the olive oil.
- When the olive oil is shimmering, add the thinly sliced onions to the pan. Season with salt, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon.
- Let the onions caramelize slowly, constantly stirring so the onions don’t burn on the bottom of the pan. This process should take 20-30 minutes, depending on the heat in your pan.
- When the onions have browned beautifully, add the beef broth a quarter cup at a time. Stir with the spoon as the onions soak up the broth. Do this three more times. Add the thyme leaves, and remove the pan from the heat.
- When the onions are cooked through, turn the oven on to its broil setting. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, then set aside.
- As the oven preheats, slice the bread. Place the sliced bread onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Spoon the onions evenly on top of the sliced bread.
- Lay down half a Borden® Cheese Swiss Slice, then top with Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds. (There’s no exact amount here – eyeball it!)
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven, and broil for 4-6 minutes, or until the cheese has browned and is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with additional thyme leaves, and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 435Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 954mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 19g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.
Meghan @ Cake 'n Knife says
French onion soup is one of my fav soups (actually one of the few that I’ll actually finish a bowl of…) so turning it into bruschetta is basically the best idea I’ve ever heard of! And I totally can relate to kitchen dance parties!!! That IS my life. Every dang day.
Erin says
French onion soup is one of my favorite soups, too, and I’d actually happily eat it (or a rendition of it) ALL THE TIME. I’m so happy you’re into this idea, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it if you make it! Also, hooray for kitchen dance parties!
Diane Gordon says
This is wonderful! My husband is out of town for the MONTH and I’ve been making things just for me. I had half a can of French Onion soup the other night but was just not happy with it. Last night I cooked 2 small steaks for myself along with roasted vegetables. I cooked the steaks in a small iron skillet and deglazed the pan with red wine. So I saw this recipe and thought I could use the leftover soup and a last couple of pieces of Ezekiel Bread and the one big, sweet onion to use up leftovers and last of the bread. I caramelized the onions in the same iron skillet (I hadn’t washed the fond out of it) so there was added flavor of steak and red wine to add to the leftover soup. All turned out great! I will have the steak with some of these onions and still have enough to eat some on bread tomorrow. Thanks for a great idea! It tasted like onion marmalade on the Ezekiel bread and the cheese on top satisfied me so I won’t be just snacking on everything trying to get satisfied.
Erin says
Diane,
I am SO happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe so much and that you made your own twist on it. Cooking the onions in the skillet where you cooked the steaks was a brilliant idea, and reusing the leftover French Onion soup was, too! Well done!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
Oh heck yes! I love everything about this!
Erin says
Thanks, Des! I love everything about it, too!
Michelle says
This sounds so delicious. French onion soup is one of my all time favorites. And now I feel like I need to make this soon! #client
Erin says
Thank you, Michelle. We DEVOURED this bruschetta the few times we’ve made it, and I have no doubt that it is going to be a family favorite for years to come. You can NEVER go wrong with French onion goodness!
Brandy | Nutmeg Nanny says
YASSS! I must make these for our next party!
Erin says
Yasss! You must, Brandy! Enjoy!
Jessica | Novice Chef says
These look SO GOOD! My idea of a perfect appetizer!
Erin says
Thank you, Jessica! They really are a perfect appetizer!
michele says
I love this idea! A warm appetizer for a light bite before going out on Fridays! Pinned it!
Erin says
Thank you, Michele! You can never go wrong with a warm appetizer before going out on a Friday. Enjoy!
Maryanne | the little epicurean says
Cooking is definitely a family affair is my kitchen, as well! While we don’t have children (yet), our two pups linger around the kitchen during meal prep hoping some ingredients fall their way 🙂
Erin says
Cooking as a family is so much fun. I’m so glad yours does and that your pups join in on the fun. 😉
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
Aww! Chopping onions makes me sneeze lately. So strange! And this bruschetta looks awesome.
Erin says
Sneezing while chopping onions? That’s so strange, Erin! Thank you – this bruschetta is delish!
Sharon @What The Fork says
Yum! You had me at the caramelized onions! But seriously this looks really great and a nice comfort meal!
Erin says
Hooray for caramelized onions! 😉 Thank you so much. This is absolutely delicious.
Catalina @ Peas & Peonies says
I have to try this! My husband will love this onion bruschetta! 🙂
Erin says
You should, Catalina! My husband loves onions like this, too, and we just adored this recipe. Enjoy!
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
This bruschetta recipe looks so delicious! I love the french onion take on it! Another great recipe, Erin!
Erin says
Thank you, Elaine! You can’t beat French onion goodness. 😉 I appreciate it!
Danielle says
I love this idea. What a great way to serve French onion soup at a party (well and without the soup). Onions get me every time too. I wear glasses and have to take them off and wipe my eyes mid-chop every time. And it lasts so long!
Erin says
Thank you, Danielle! I hate that the onions get you, too. Good thing the end result is utterly delicious, especially when caramelized.
Sue Ringsdorf says
Anything on bread is divine at my house! Love that you dance and sing in the kitchen. I can see it now! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Erin says
Your house sounds similar to mine, Sue! Singing and dancing in the kitchen is a mainstay. Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy this recipe.
Erin says
A great soup made into an appetizer–yes please!
Erin says
RIGHT?!? You kind of can’t go wrong. 😉
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
That looks and sounds amazing. I love the melted cheese on top! This would be perfect with a nice bowl of soup.
Erin says
Thank you, Angie! The melted cheese just makes this bruschetta. 🙂 Enjoy with that bowl of soup – it would be EXTRA decadent!
PJ says
I made this tonight, with Kalamata olive bread. It was sooooooooooooooooo good!!! Thanks!
Erin says
HOORAY! So happy to hear this, PJ! I can imagine it was just divine with that olive bread! 😀
Marilyn says
Just in time for company tonight!!! Thanks so much, I love, and only buy Borden cheeses, they melt beautifully and have a creamier texture then other cheeses!!
Erin says
So happy to hear this, Marilyn! I hope these turned out well for you and that you and your company adored this bruschetta. We love Borden cheeses, too, so I’m so glad to meet another fan!
Carole says
Can this be made the night before and put in refrigerator until cooking and serving?
Erin says
Hi Carole! I think you could definitely do part of this ahead of time. I advise cooking down the onions the day before and storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The day of, slice the bread, layer on the onions and cheese, and bake. Thanks for asking! Please let me know how this turns out. 🙂
Patricia Manfrates says
OK to use a mandolin to slice the onions or would that make them too thin?
Erin says
It’s absolutely OK to use a mandolin here, Patricia! They might cook for less time, but that wouldn’t be an issue!
Tricia says
This looks so good. One quick question. Can I make this ahead and freeze?
Erin says
Thanks so much, Tricia! 🙂 As far as making ahead and freezing it, you could probably do that with the onion mixture, though I’ve never tried that before. When you’re ready to make the bruschetta, let it thaw completely, then spread on the bread and top with cheese. If you give this a shot, let me know how it goes so I can share that with others, too!