Creamy Meatballs & Gravy🍖 Main

Name: Creamy Meatballs & Gravy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 255 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter; 1 onion, sliced; 24 oz frozen meatballs; 10 1/2 oz beef broth; 10 1/2 oz condensed French onion soup; 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 bay leaf; salt and black pepper to taste; 2 tbsp cornstarch

Tender beef spheres gently simmered in a velvety, savory onion sauce.

By Jason Miller, Weeknight Cook & Household Coordinator

Prep: 15 minCook: 255 minServes: 4

slow cooker beef dinner American comfort food easy

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This comfort food classic transforms humble meatballs into something extraordinary with its rich, deeply savored gravy. The magic happens during the long, slow simmer when the French onion soup mingles with beef broth and cream, creating a sauce that's both sophisticated and soul-satisfying. It's the kind of dish that fills your home with an irresistible aroma and makes everyone gather around the table asking what's for dinner.

The key to success here is resisting the urge to skip the onion-softening step. Those four minutes of sautéing in butter might seem minor, but they develop a sweet, caramelized depth that carries through the entire dish. When you add the cornstarch slurry at the end, stir it in thoroughly and give it the full fifteen minutes to work its thickening magic—you want a gravy that coats the back of a spoon and clings lovingly to each meatball.

This recipe begs to be served over buttery egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up every drop of that luscious gravy, though crusty bread works beautifully too. For a lighter take, try serving it over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. You can also swap the beef meatballs for turkey or chicken versions, though you might want to use chicken broth instead to keep the flavors aligned.

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 onion, sliced
24 oz frozen meatballs
10 1/2 oz beef broth
10 1/2 oz condensed French onion soup
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp cornstarch

Nutrition (Per 4 servings)*

612

Calories

32g

Protein

12g

Carbs

48g

Fat

Fiber

681mg

Sodium

* AI-estimated values only — not a substitute for professional nutrition labeling.

Instructions

If making homemade meatballs, combine the meat mixture and roll into 36 meatballs. Lightly brown in a skillet over medium high heat, cooking in batches if needed. They do not need to be cooked through. (Frozen meatballs do not need to be browned).
Remove the meatballs and place in the bottom of a 6qt slow cooker (frozen fully cooked meatballs can be added right from frozen).
Add the onions to the pan with butter and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes.
Place onions in the slow cooker. Add all remaining ingredients except cornstarch and stir. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
Remove bay leaf and discard. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into the slow cooker and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until thickened.