French Onion Skillet Beef Casserole

This skillet beef casserole is for the French onion lovers!  Caramelized onions, beef, seasoning, orzo and Gruyere cheese come together in a comforting and simple one pot casserole!

 

This skillet beef casserole recipe is definitely for onion lovers.

I have always loved French onion soup.  It does bring back certain memories.  I remember the first time I had French onion soup I was on a date with my high school boyfriend.  We were at a local pizza restaurant that made the best onion soup around.  In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the most romantic thing to eat, but he wasn’t the most romantic boyfriend either.  He and ate at that same pizza restaurant every weekend for months and I always ordered the soup.

There were so many things that made that soup delicious.  The caramelized onions were one reason of course, but it was also the the way the salty broth worked with those onions and then the thick piece of crusty bread that soaked up the soup all while holding up gooey, melted cheese.

I don’t think I have had French onion soup since he and I stopped frequenting that restaurant.  My kids would never go for that kind of soup; a pot full of onions aren’t exactly their thing. BUT onions mixed with orzo in a skillet beef casserole is a completely different story!

I am a huge one pot meal fan.  I make skillet chicken, skillet turkey tetrazzini and many other skillet meals for my family.  This beef recipe is going to become are regular part of our dinner rotations.  I start with caramelized onions to which I add ground beef and simple seasoning.  I use orzo pasta in this recipe because I like how it plumps up and fill out during the cooking process.  However, rice would work if you prefer.  Beef broth and fresh herbs round out the flavor and just before serving a sprinkling of Gruyere cheese is broiled until bubbly.  This might not be the French onion soup I remember, but that’s ok, I like this much better!

Find this recipe on Food Fanatic!

See also:

Beef Lombardi Recipe

Skillet Meatball Lasagna Recipe