French Melt (Grilled Cheese With Caramelized Onion and Comté) Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Mar. 21, 2019
french-melt-kenji.jpg
Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

French Melts start with a big ol' pile of sweet, caramelized onions (see here for an easy technique to speed up the process) melted with a fat slab of Comté cheese. It's like French onion soup in an easy-to-pick-up, extra-buttery package. Set the table cloth and pull out the fine china, dear, tonight I'm wearing pants to the table!

Recipe Facts

5

(2)

Active: 60 mins
Total: 60 mins
Serves: 2 sandwiches

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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 slices crusty country-style bread

  • 4 ounces Comté or Gruyère cheese, sliced

Directions

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon in a large non-stick of cast iron skillet over medium-low heat until melted. Add onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelized and rich brown, about 45 minutes (If onions threaten to burn, add 1 tablespoon of water). Transfer onions to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

  2. Return skillet to medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add bread slices and cook, swirling bread around pan, until pale golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cooked-side-up. Divide cheese evenly between each slice. Spread onions evenly between two slices. Close sandwiches with onions and cheese inside.

  3. Melt 1 more tablespoon butter in skillet and add both sandwiches. Cook, swirling pan frequently, until deep golden brown on first side, about 3 minutes. Add remaining tablespoon butter, flip sandwiches, and continue cooking until deep golden brown and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
633 Calories
43g Fat
38g Carbs
24g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 633
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g 56%
Saturated Fat 26g 129%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Sodium 1189mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 684mg 53%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 282mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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