French Onion Potatoes Combine The Best Of 2 Comfort Food Classics
French onion soup just screams rustic, Parisian cuisine. The subtle simplicity of caramelized onions, beef broth, crusty French bread, and Gruyère cheese is sophisticated, warm, and amazingly rich in flavor. The recipe dates back to the 17th century, and though there is little agreement on exactly who created this beloved dish, it has nonetheless become a staple in France and beyond (via World in Paris).
Potatoes, on the other hand, couldn't be more different. When thought of alone, they are plain and bland, but that's what makes them the perfect base ingredient for endless creations. A common starch around the world, potatoes contain many vitamins (via Agrico Potatoes). When baked, mashed, fried, and seasoned, potatoes always tend to find their way into people's hearts. That said, pairing them with rich, mouth-watering French onion soup flavors is the perfect match for adding so much depth and flavor to typically dull potatoes.
Enter: French onion potatoes
While we're happy to enjoy our French onion soup as is, fun takes on classic recipes are always intriguing. Nadia Aidi of foodmymuse took to her social channels to share her creation, French onion potatoes. To make them, she caramelizes thinly sliced onions in butter with brown sugar, adding bay leaves, thyme, white wine, and beef broth — classic ingredients in the beloved soup. She then parboils the potatoes, halves them, and removes their centers, leaving some flesh with the skin to later fill — as you would when making loaded potato skins.
Once the onions cook down and the liquid has evaporated, she lays the potatoes on a sheet pan, then layers in Gruyère cheese and the onions, finishing with more shredded cheese and fresh chives and thyme on top. She then bakes them until the cheese melts and bubbles. We're drooling just watching her make these. We think these two are a match made in heaven, so we thank Aidi for bringing these French onion potatoes to our attention. The only part we can't wrap our minds around is scooping out the center. Of course, it's needed for stuffing, but don't waste those scraps! Cut them up and save them for tomorrow's breakfast potatoes!