French Onion Skillet Gnocchi
Savory caramelized onions meet melty Gruyère cheese and crispy pan-fried gnocchi in this ultra-cozy skillet dinner.
Serves4 to 6
Prep15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook40 minutes to 45 minutes
When you take everything you love about French onion soup and marry it with the convenience of store-bought gnocchi, the result is one of the coziest dinners you can dip into this winter. Simply toss pan-fried potato gnocchi with lots of thyme-scented caramelized onions, pile on nutty Gruyère cheese, and let the whole thing take a spin under the broiler until it’s a bubbling, melty mess of comforting goodness. This is the kind of dinner that’s sure to warm you up and lift your mood on even the coldest of nights.
An Easy Gnocchi Dinner — No Boiling Required
Store-bought gnocchi is one of my favorite conveniences to keep on hand because of its versatility. But boiling the dumplings per the package instructions is actually my least-used cooking method. Instead, I prefer roasting gnocchi on a sheet pan with lots of veggies, or tossing them into a hot skillet and pan-frying. The latter is my approach in this recipe.
Instead of bringing a separate pot of water to a boil, you’ll simply spread out the uncooked gnocchi in the skillet you’ll use to caramelize the onions and let them cook, covered, until they become deep golden and extra crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy and tender on the inside.
French Onion Skillet Gnocchi Recipe
Savory caramelized onions meet melty Gruyère cheese and crispy pan-fried gnocchi in this ultra-cozy skillet dinner.
Prep time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes to 45 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 pounds
yellow onions (about 2 large or 4 medium)
- 1
small bunch fresh thyme, divided
- 2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 2
(16- to 18-ounce packages) fresh, shelf-stable, or frozen potato gnocchi (do not thaw)
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
- 6 ounces
Gruyère cheese
- 1/4 cup
dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon
balsamic or sherry vinegar
Instructions
Halve and thinly slice 2 pounds yellow onions (about 7 cups). Pick the leaves from 1 small bunch fresh thyme sprigs until you have 2 tablespoons.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other broiler-safe, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Break up 1 (16- to 18-ounce) package potato gnocchi into individual gnocchi and add to the skillet in a single layer. Cover (a sheet pan or the lid of a Dutch oven works well) and cook undisturbed until the bottoms are golden-brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 package gnocchi and transfer it to the baking sheet.
Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, half of the thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat if the onions start to burn, until the onions have reduced by over half, are very soft, and deep golden -brown, 28 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grate 6 ounces Gruyère cheese on the large holes of the box grater (about 1 1/2 cups). Arrange a rack 6 to 8 inches below the broiling element and set the oven to broil.
Pour 1/4 cup dry white wine over the caramelized onions. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and continue to stir until the wine has evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic or sherry vinegar.
Return the gnocchi to the skillet and stir until combined. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Spread the mixture out into an even layer. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Transfer the pan to the oven and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots, 4 to 6 minutes. Garnish with the reserved thyme leaves and several grinds of black pepper.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.