French onion baked potatoes combines the rich flavors of French onion soup with the heartiness of a twice-baked potato to create a magnificent meal or side.
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword: baked potatoes, bay leaves, beef stock, French onion soup, garlic, gruyere, pinot grigio, Russet potato, thyme, white wine, yellow onion
Ingredients
4large Russet potatoes
Olive oilto coat potatoes
4tablespoonsbutter
4medium yellow onionsthinly sliced
8clovesgarlicminced
pinchof sugar
1/2cupdry white wineI used pinot grigio
1cupbeef stock
2bay leaves
1teaspoonthyme
10 to 12ouncesgruyereshredded
salt and pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
While it preheats, wash your potatoes and prick them all over with a fork. Fill a large bowl with warm water and dump in a healthy amount of salt. Place your potatoes in the bowl to soak.
Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with foil and placing a baking rack on top.
Once the oven is preheated, remove the potatoes from the water and place them with space between them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove the sheet from the oven and carefully brush the potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place them back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
When your potatoes are about 20 minutes from being done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and let them saute, stirring regularly, until they are a deep, golden brown. (This will likely take at least 20 minutes. Be patient.) When the onions are nearly done, add in the garlic, sprinkle in the pinch of sugar and add salt and pepper to taste. Saute for a couple more minutes and then add in the white wine, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any stuck-on bits.
Add in the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme, and let the mixture come to a very low boil, stirring regularly.
Once the liquid is completely reduced, remove the skillet from the heat and discard the bay leaves.
Cut about one-half inch off the tops of your baked potatoes and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl, being careful to leave just a bit of the potato attached to the skin so it will hold up to being stuffed.
Smash the potato you scooped into the bowl a bit and then add in a handful of the shredded cheese and all but about 1/2 cup of the onion mixture. Stir it well.
Scoop the mixture back into the potato shells, and place the filled potatoes on the prepared baking rack from before. Evenly distribute the rest of the onions on the top of the filled potatoes and top with as much cheese as you can balance on top of that. (I highly recommend putting some cheese on the potato tops you cut off earlier and putting those on the sheet, too.)
Turn the broiler on low and place the potatoes back in the oven, keeping an eye on them. When the cheese is melted, turn the broiler up to high, and once the cheese is browned to your liking, remove the potatoes from the oven and serve.