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Baked French Onion Gnocchi

Baked French onion gnocchi with a rich, caramelized onion broth and a golden Gruyère crust. Oven-baked gnocchi turns pillowy and cooks through while the sauce bubbles and thickens.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potato gnocchi
  • 1 lb potato gnocchi Use uncooked gnocchi.
Onion broth base
  • 3 large onions Thinly sliced.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter Unsalted.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine or dry sherry Choose one.
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme Minced leaves or finely chopped.
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
Cheese topping
  • 2 cup Gruyere cheese Shredded.
  • salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Caramelize the onions
  1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet, then add the thinly sliced onions and cook over medium-low heat for 35-40 minutes until deeply caramelized, stirring occasionally so they don’t scorch.
  2. When the onions are very dark and jammy, deglaze the skillet with the dry white wine (or dry sherry) and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
Build the sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant with no raw garlic smell.
  2. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream, then bring the mixture to a simmer so it turns glossy and slightly thickened.
Add gnocchi and bake
  1. Add the uncooked potato gnocchi to the onion broth and stir to coat, letting the sauce return to a gentle simmer around the gnocchi.
  2. Scatter the shredded Gruyère evenly over the top so it melts into a browned crust during baking.
  3. Broil or bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes until the gnocchi are cooked through, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese is golden.

Notes

Pro tip: caramelize the onions slowly and don’t rush the browning—deep color equals rich flavor in the broth. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently until steaming. Freeze is not recommended because cream can separate. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduce baking time by 2 minutes to avoid drying the gnocchi.