Chicken Meatballs with Onions and Gruyère

We think everything can be improved by adding meatballs to it. Even French onion soup. It turns an appetizer soup into a full meal, and don't worry, we added even more cheese to it. Gruyère goes into the meatballs and then the whole thing gets topped with more of it before serving. And of course, there's plenty of caramelized onions.

Meatballs:
2 Tbsp. olive oil, for baking sheet
1 lb. ground chicken
½ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
black pepper, freshly ground

Sauce:
4 Tbsp. butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cup beef broth
2 tsp. thyme, freshly chopped
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1½ cup Gruyère cheese, shredded

Garnish:
chopped thyme

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and rub with oil.

Make meatballs:  In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Gruyère, bread crumbs, parsley, egg, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Form into 16 meatballs, then place on prepared baking sheet and bake until golden and cooked through, 25 minutes.

Meanwhile make sauce:  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until very soft and golden, 25 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add broth and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes.

Add meatballs to skillet and sprinkle with Gruyère. Cover and cook until meatballs are warmed through and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve warm, garnished with thyme.

Makes 4 servings.