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Bowl of French onion beef and noodles topped with cheesy Gruyère bread – slow braised chuck roast with caramelized onions and pasta in rich broth
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French Onion Beef and Noodles with Cheesy Bread

Course Main Course
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chuck roast or stew beef cut into 1½-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 5 cups beef broth low sodium if possible
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 oz wide egg noodles
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley chopped (optional, garnish)
  • Crusty bread slices for cheesy topping

Instructions

Caramelize the Onions

  • Heat 2 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown (about 25–30 minutes).
  • Stir in the garlic during the last minute.
  • Remove onions from the pot and set aside.

Brown the Beef

  • Pat the chuck roast cubes dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
  • In the same pot, sear beef in batches until browned on all sides (don’t overcrowd).
  • Return all beef to the pot, sprinkle with flour, and stir to coat.

Build the Broth

  • Slowly pour in the beef broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
  • Add Worcestershire, thyme, bay leaves, and the caramelized onions back in.
  • Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover with a lid.

Braise Until Tender

  • Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1.5–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is fork-tender.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Cook the Noodles

  • About 15 minutes before the beef is done, boil the egg noodles separately until al dente. Drain.

Combine & Finish

  • Stir the noodles into the beef and onion mixture.
  • Toast slices of crusty bread, top with Gruyère cheese, and broil until bubbly and golden.
  • Ladle beef and noodles into bowls, then float the cheesy bread on top (like French onion soup).

Serving

  • Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Serve hot with extra cheese on the side.

Video

@jefsmk

French Onion Soup + Beef & Noodles = comfort food perfection 🥩🧅🍲 Slow-braised chuck roast, caramelized onions, noodles, and a golden cheese bread topper 🔥 Full recipe up soon on SmekerBuilt.com. #FrenchOnionSoup #BeefAndNoodles #ComfortFood #SmekerBuilt

♬ original sound - Jeff Smeker

Notes

First time making this, I used 16 oz of wide egg noodles.  It was too many.  Going to 12 next time.