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

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez 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 April 08, 2025
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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 Details

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

Prep 5 mins
Cook 60 mins
Active 60 mins
Total 65 mins
Serves 2 sandwiches
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

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)
612Calories
43gFat
34gCarbs
23gProtein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories612
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g55%
Saturated Fat 26g128%
Cholesterol 123mg41%
Sodium 1150mg50%
Total Carbohydrate 34g13%
Dietary Fiber 3g10%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 5mg24%
Calcium 673mg52%
Iron 2mg12%
Potassium 272mg6%
*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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