This casserole claims inspiration from the ever-iconic French onion soup that has graced restaurant menus since its creation in 18th century Paris. That flavor combination of buttery caramelized onions, beef broth, and Gruyère cheese has such savory appeal, we knew it would effortlessly transform from a soup to a scrumptious casserole. But just as important as taste, we wanted this casserole to be easy enough to pull together on busy weeknights when time is short and speed is a must.

How to Make this Dump and Bake Casserole

Our French Onion Meatballs and Rice starts with fresh sliced mushrooms and a can each of beef broth and condensed French onion soup. Long grain rice is included for hearty satiety—the rice will absorb the extra liquid from the broth and canned soup while it is cooking. The final additions are fresh thyme (if needed, you can always substitute 1/2 tsp. crushed dried thyme for the 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme) and a topping of butter pats to bring out that classic indulgent flavor of French onion soup. So the meatballs don’t overbake and dry out, they are added halfway through the baking time. Once sprinkled with the Gruyère cheese, let it stand for 5 minutes before digging in. This casserole is a perfectly complete meal by itself, but you could bulk it up with side dishes of garlicky steamed green beans and warmed croissants with a smear of butter.