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French Onion Pot Roast

French onion pot roast with deeply caramelized onions and Gruyere-topped baguette rounds. Braised chuck roast turns fall-apart tender in a rich French onion broth, then gets broiled until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck roast
  • 3.5 lb beef chuck roast
Onions
  • 4 large onions thinly sliced
Garlic
  • 4 clove garlic minced
White wine or beef broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine or beef broth
Beef broth
  • 3 cup beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Fresh thyme
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme
Bay leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
Gruyere cheese
  • 2 cup Gruyere, shredded
Baguette slices
  • 8 slice baguette toasted
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Braise the beef
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper, then sear it in olive oil in a Dutch oven until deeply browned and the surface looks crusty.
  2. Remove the roast to a plate. Keep any browned bits in the pot for flavor.
  3. Add butter and the sliced onions to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes until deeply caramelized, stirring occasionally and letting the onions turn dark golden-brown.
  4. Stir in the minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the wine (or broth) and deglaze, scraping up the browned fond with a spoon.
  5. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
  6. Return the roast to the Dutch oven and spoon some of the onion broth over it. Cover and braise for 3 to 3-1/2 hours at 325F until fall-apart tender.
Finish and broil
  1. Remove the bay leaves from the braising liquid. Shred the beef in the broth until evenly mixed.
  2. Ladle the pot roast and onion broth into bowls. Float toasted baguette slices on top and sprinkle Gruyere over the baguette.
  3. Broil for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly with browned edges. Serve immediately while the topping is hot and set.

Notes

For the best caramelization, cook the onions on medium-low and give them time—scraping the bottom only if they start to dry out. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of broth. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use a reduced-sodium beef broth and choose an 80/20 chuck roast instead of higher-fat cuts.