French Onion Stew

I love a warm bowl of beefy French onion soup, and now I’m hooked on this clever mashup recipe from Amber McBride of Grain Valley, Missouri. Her slow-cooker French onion stew recipe has the beefy broth and flavorful caramelized onions of the iconic soup, but here they become the braising ingredients for a beef roast. With more additions of spiral pasta and cheese, the soup is transformed into a hearty stew.

Chuck roast recipes like this are some of my family’s favorite types of meals. The meat becomes pull-apart tender and succulent after low-and-slow cooking. Plus, the leftovers can be enjoyed for days afterward!

Ingredients for French Onion Stew

• Boneless beef chuck: This cut of beef is perfect for the long, slow braising environment of the slow cooker. You can also use an equal amount of pre-sliced stew beef.
• Onions: Sliced onions are caramelized on the stovetop in a little olive oil, then added to the slow cooker with the beef. Choose a yellow or Spanish type of onion, or a sweet variety like Vidalia.
• Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor. Precut, jarred garlic can have a bitter aftertaste.
• Beef broth: To braise food in a slow cooker, you need liquid. This slow-cooker beef recipe calls for store-bought beef broth or homemade broth to help give the entire dish a stronger savory flavor.
• Pasta: Spiral pasta, like rotini or cavatappi, is added near the end of the cooking time so it can soak up the flavorful liquid as it softens.
• Sauce: Along with the beef broth, the savory sauce for this French onion stew is made with a blend of maple syrup, a little flour to thicken, fresh rosemary, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Monterey Jack cheese: I like to grate my own cheese for recipes like this to ensure the smoothest texture when melted. Use tools like a box grater or food processor to quickly do the job.

Directions

Step 1: Sear the roast

Sprinkle the boneless beef chuck roast with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides. Remove it from the pan and place in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip this step! Searing the beef creates flavor-packed browned surfaces, as well as browned bits in the pan called fond. They make the whole dish much more flavorful.

Step 2: Caramelize the onions

Add the thinly sliced onions and remaining salt and pepper to the same pan. Cook and stir them for five to seven minutes until they’re tender. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook the onions for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, stirring them every five minutes, until they’re golden brown in color. Add the minced garlic and maple syrup; cook and stir the onions for another five minutes.

Sprinkle flour over the onions, the add the beef broth, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the pan. Transfer everything to the slow cooker.

Step 3: Slow-cook the ingredients

Add the fresh rosemary and bay leaf to the slow cooker. Cover it and cook on high until the beef is tender, about six hours.

Remove the beef to a plate and shred it using two forks. Return the shredded beef to the slow cooker.

Step 4: Add the noodles and cheese

Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add the noodles to the slow cooker, and stir to coat them in the sauce. Top with the shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Continue cooking until the noodles are done, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

French Onion Stew Variations

• Try another cheese: Instead of Monterey Jack, make this dish with flavorful grated Gruyere, cheddar or Gouda cheese.
• Turn it into sandwiches: Omit the pasta. Once the cheese is melted, pile French onion stew onto soft sub rolls to make filling sandwiches.

How to Store French Onion Stew

This is a big recipe, which means you’ll get to enjoy lots of tasty leftovers! Once the French onion stew has cooled, transfer it to an airtight food storage container. Store the stew in the refrigerator.

How long does French onion stew last?

When kept cold and tightly covered, the French onion stew will last up to four days.

How should you reheat French onion stew?

One way to reheat French onion stew is to portion it into heat-proof bowls and reheat it in the microwave. Zap it in one-minute bursts, stirring between each one until the stew is heated through. Or, transfer the stew to a large saucepan and reheat it gently over medium heat.

French Onion Stew Tips

How do you make French onion stew on the stovetop?

To make French onion stew on the stovetop instead of in the slow cooker, follow the same method as you would for stovetop pot roast. After cooking the onions and adding beef broth to the Dutch oven, return the seared pot roast to the pot. Cover the pot and simmer the ingredients over low heat for 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beef is tender. Then, continue with the rest of this recipe.

What can you serve with French onion stew?

Because it’s rich with meat, gravy, cheese and pasta, you can keep the sides for French onion stew simple. With a saucy dish like this, I like to have something to sop up the gravy, like slices of homemade French bread, buttery dinner rolls or even simple baked crescent rolls from a tube. This hearty dish is also nice with a vegetable side, like a kale Caesar salad or perhaps oven-roasted asparagus.