Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

From the kitchen of Carly

Creamy baked brie gets topped with deeply caramelized onions that have mellowed into sweet, jammy perfection. Bake it in its wooden box, then serve alongside crusty bread for scooping. Pure comfort on a board.

Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

Forty minutes of patient onion work transforms them from sharp and raw into sweet, glossy strands that collapse into molten Brie. The wooden box becomes your serving vessel, so skip the fancy plating and let the cheese do the talking. Caramelized onions make every bite worth the slow cook.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 8 cupsliced onions
  • 1 tbspminced fresh thyme
  • 4garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 cupdry white wine
  • 1 tspsugar
  • 18-inch-diameter 32- to 36-ounce French Brie, packed in wooden box
  • 2French bread baguettes
  • 1sliced

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a heavy, very large skillet over medium-high heat. Tip in the onions and sauté until just tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the minced thyme, drop the heat to medium, and keep cooking, stirring often, until the onions turn golden, about 25 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Pour in 1/4 cup of the wine and stir until almost all the liquid disappears, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and continue sautéing until they are soft and deeply browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup wine and stir just until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside to cool.

  2. Crank the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the Brie and hold onto the bottom of its wooden box. Slice away only the top rind, leaving the sides and bottom intact, then nestle the cheese back into the box rind-side down. Set the box on a baking sheet and spread the caramelized onion mixture evenly over the exposed surface. Bake until the cheese just melts, about 30 minutes. Transfer the box to a platter and arrange the baguette slices all around it.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Add the wine in two stages: first with the garlic to deglaze and pick up fond, then again at the end to balance the sweetness. This keeps the onions from tasting flat.
  • Cut only the top rind away and leave the sides and bottom intact, so the cheese holds its shape as it melts instead of collapsing into a puddle.
  • Caramelize the onions up to two days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. You'll have them ready to top and bake anytime.
  • Watch the oven at 25 minutes, not 30. Brie goes from barely melted to soupy fast, and barely melted is the goal.

Variations

  • Use aged gouda instead of Brie for a nuttier, less delicate melt that can handle a few extra minutes in the oven.
  • Stir a tablespoon of whole grain mustard into the finished onions for a subtle tang that cuts the richness.
  • Add crispy chopped bacon or pancetta to the onion topping if you want a textural contrast and savory depth.
  • Trade the white wine for cognac or apple cider to add complexity without changing the cooking method.

Make ahead and storage

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven until just warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don't freeze the baked cheese.