French Onion Cheese Toasts – Cheesy, Oniony Goodness

French Onion Cheese Toasts have all the rich flavors of French onion soup in an easy, yet elegant appetizer. It’s perfect for all your holiday entertaining.

The Appetizer Conundrum

I was asked to bring an appetizer to an event the other day and I felt in a bit of a rut. Do I go super easy and get a bag of chips and some French onion dip? Maybe grab some crackers, meat and cheese?

I really wanted to do something a bit more fun than that, but I also didn’t want to dig up a ton of ingredients. It was also the time of year where heavier appetizers go over well (think cold, dark Winters!). 

So, we want a great recipe that’s interesting with simple ingredients. Easy, right?

Inspiration From French Onion Soup

Combing through my pantry and fridge, I did find a French baguette and some shredded Gruyere cheese. I certainly could have gone the route of some cheesy toast with the melty Gruyere. But, let’s bring it up a notch!

I had also recently made this French Onion Soup (such a tasty comfort food!) and still had a bunch of caramelized onions left over (see below on how to make your own caramelized onions). But, what’s the best part of French Onion Soup? 

• The toasted bread?
• The melted grated Gruyere cheese?
• The delicious onion mixture? 

Wait. It’s all good!

With all the ingredients in hand, why not make a fun recipe that has all the flavors of French Onion Soup, but is in an easy appetizer form? Thus, the French Onion Cheese Toasts were born.

Start With the Caramelized Onions

These delicious little bites have all the flavors of French onion soup in a cute little toast, all crispy, warm and cheesy. It’s a recipe that is very easy to double or triple, depending on how many people you’re serving. They come together in no time, so they’re perfect for whipping up if friends or family stop over unexpectedly.

The first step is making a batch of caramelized onions. Yellow onions work the best as they are sweeter than other onions the longer they cook and they have a great color at the finish. See below for more information and links on how to easily caramelize onions on your own.

I do highly suggest caramelized onions in this recipe as simple, raw sliced onions will overpower the cheese and herbs.

And, I’ll be honest, you could literally just put these onions on a crostini and have yourself some awesome caramelized onion toasts as an appetizer. But, hey, we don’t want to stop there!

Bringing It All Together

The rest of the ingredients for these cheese toasts are pretty simple and easy to have on hand. All you need is a baguette, shredded cheese, garlic and fresh or dried thyme.  

Simply cut up the baguette (you don’t want really thick slices – maybe 1/2 inch each), drizzle with a bit of olive oil and toast both sides under the broiler. Rub the top with some garlic. 

You combine the rest of the ingredients (minus the cheese) in a small skillet (or large skillet if you are making a larger batch) and reduce over medium-low to medium heat. Medium-high heat or above will ruin the risk of burning the onions.

Once that is ready, top the toasts with the onion mixture and cheese. Put back under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and turns a deep-golden color. You’re ready to go!

So what are you waiting for? Make yourself a big batch of caramelized onions so you can always be prepared to make these wonderful appetizer toasts.

Caramelized Onions are a Flavor Treat

Do you love caramelized onions as much as I do? They have such a wonderful flavor. They’re sweet and savory all at the same time and they taste wonderful in so many different dishes.

The problem with caramelized onions, though, is that they take a long time to properly make. And, not only do they take a long time, it’s mostly hands-on time. They require almost constant stirring so that they don’t burn.

Caramelized Onions Made Easy

But, don’t worry, I have a solution for you that makes caramelized onions easy-peasy. You can easily make them in your Instant Pot or your Slow Cooker. Or, if you prefer to cook the onions on the stove top, this recipe gives you all the instructions you need to do it that way.

Other than slicing the onions, either appliance will do all of the work for you. This makes it so easy to have caramelized onions on hand at all times. 

And, the other great thing is that they freeze beautifully. Just put them in an airtight container and throw them in the freezer. They can easily keep up to three months.

If you already have caramelized onions on hand, these French Onion Cheese Toasts are a quick and easy appetizer that comes together in no time. They are also soooo delicious. They’re especially perfect for holiday entertaining.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Rubbing the warm toasted bread with garlic adds a subtle garlic flavor that goes well with the onions and the cheese.
• I prefer to use Gruyere cheese over Swiss cheese. Gruyere has a nuttier flavor and overall I feel it has more depth of flavor. Aldi almost always has a shredded Gruyere/Swiss Blend, which I find to be very good. If you’re unable to find Gruyere or Aldi’s blend, Swiss is still a good option.
• I prefer fresh thyme leaves for this recipe rather than dry. I just feel like the flavor of the fresh thyme works better with the rest of the ingredients.

Ingredients Needed to Make French Onion Cheese Toasts

Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card

• Baguette
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Caramelized onions
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Shredded Gruyere or Swiss Cheese

How to Make French Onion Cheese Toasts

• Pre-heat broiler.
• Cut 12 (1/2 inch) slices of bread from baguette.
• Place bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle each side with olive oil.
• Place baking sheet under the broiler and toast each side of the bread, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
• Once bread is toasted, rub top side of bread with cut side of garlic.
• Combine caramelized onions, thyme, salt and pepper in a small skillet.
• Heat over medium-low to medium heat, until onions are warm and any liquid has evaporated (you don’t want the toasts to be soggy).
• Top each toast with 1 tbsp caramelized onions and 1 tbsp shredded cheese.
• Return to broiler until cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown.

Make it a Party with More Easy Appetizers

• Cheddar Puff Pastry Bratwurst Bites
• Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Homemade Eel Sauce
• Sun-Dried Tomato Beef Crostini
• Homemade General Tso’s Chicken Meatballs
• Million Dollar Dip
• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

 

ENJOY!