Red Wine French Onion Stuffed Shells have the crave-worth flavor you love about French onion soup, except these onions are cooked with red wine before being stuffed into pasta and topped with cheese.
Wondering what to serve alongside red wine onion stuffed shells? Here are a few suggestions: Caprese Sausage Sandwich, Caprese Salad with Zucchini, Burrata and Prosciutto, and Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon and Blueberries.
This recipe post and its contents may include affiliate links for your consideration. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, but your prices are never increased as a result. Thank you.
Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredient list for making French onion stuffed shells with red wine:
- The original publish date of this recipe:
- How this recipe came to be:
- What I wrote about the original recipe in 2017:
- Do the onions for this recipe need to be made in a slow cooker?
- Additional recipes featuring caramelized onions:
- The ever-present French onion inspiration:
- The step-by-step photos for making slow cooker red wine caramelized onions:
- The step-by-step photos for making French Onion Stuffed Shells:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredient list for making French onion stuffed shells with red wine:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
The original publish date of this recipe:
I first wrote and published this recipe for French Onion Stuffed Shells in January of 2017. This post has been been asking for a glow up for several years, and now's its time to shine.
I've since gone back in an have added additional helpful information regarding the dish itself, but the original recipe, and the photos you'll see have remained unchanged.
How this recipe came to be:
Since my recipe for French Onion Pork Chops is still one of the most popular recipes on my blog, I keep trying to reinvent different ways to bring the rich, slightly sweet and savory flavors of deeply caramelized onions smothered in melted cheese to the dinner table in unusual ways.
Enter - Red Wine French Onion Stuffed Shells.
What I wrote about the original recipe in 2017:
Imagine if you will, deeply caramelized onions (cooked in a slow cooker) with red wine, butter, beef broth and thyme until they're sweet and extremely flavorful
Those onions are then stuffed into large, perfectly cooked pasta shells until they're practically overflowing.
The stuffed shells are then layered on top of garlicky, French bread, topped with an abundant mixture of grated Swiss, Gruyere, and Parmesan cheeses before being popped into the oven so the cheese melts into a blanket of golden, gooey, goodness.
Be still my French onion loving heart!
Do the onions for this recipe need to be made in a slow cooker?
Nope. Not at all.
Feel free to make the caramelized onions in a large skillet on the stovetop.
Basically follow the same instructions as making them in the slow cooker, but don't stray too far away from the pan and make sure to stir the onions frequently over medium heat until they're soft and golden in color (approximately 40 minutes).
Additional recipes featuring caramelized onions:
As I mentioned earlier, I'm all about the brilliance of French onion deliciousness and have posted many different versions of caramelized onions and cheese-themed dishes in the past.
French Onion Pork Chops - without bread
Save this for later.
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Email forwarding service for saving information.
The ever-present French onion inspiration:
As with all of the French onion inspired recipes I've shared, the components that remain constant in my creations are the same ones that make French onion soup so iconic and beloved.
The base is always a substantial, crusty bread, an abundance of intensely flavorful, caramelized onions, and of course, the best part of all (in my book) the layers of nutty melted cheeses.
As you can see, these red wine caramelized onion stuffed shells ticks all those boxes, and adds delicious pasta too!
You're welcome!
The step-by-step photos for making slow cooker red wine caramelized onions:
- Add butter and olive oil to a 7-quart slow cooker.
- Slice 5 large sweet onions and add them to the cooker along with salt and pepper.
- To the onions, add beef broth, red wine, and fresh thyme sprigs.
- Cover and cook on high for 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the onions to cool and then place them in containers and refrigerate until ready to stuff the shells.
The step-by-step photos for making French Onion Stuffed Shells:
- Add French bread into the bottom of a large casserole dish.
- Drizzle the bread with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder, and fresh thyme leaves.
- Meanwhile, cook large pasta shells according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta shells and use a large spoon to generously fill the shells with the cooled, caramelized onions.
- Place the filled shells in a single layer on top of the prepared French bread.
- Grate Swiss and Gruyere cheeses and liberally cover the stuffed shells with the grated cheese.
- Top with additional fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake uncovered in a preheated 425-degree oven until the cheese is melted and golden and the shells are heated through approximately 30-35 minutes.
When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.
Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!
Printable Recipe Card
Red Wine French Onion Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- 5 inch Serrated Knife for slicing bread
- box grater optional, for grating cheese
- cheese grater optional, for grating cheese
Ingredients
For the slow cooker caramelized onions:
To make the stuffed shells:
- 8 each French bread sandwich rolls sliced, lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 box (16 ounces) jumbo pasta shells Cooked 2 minutes shy of the package directions. Drain well, and cool slightly.
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 5 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese shredded
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
To make the slow cooker red wine onions:
- Add the butter, olive oil, sliced onions, beef broth, red wine, salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Add the fresh thyme sprigs. Stir well.Cover the cooker and set to high. Cook for 6-8 hours on high, or until the onions are soft and transparent, stirring occasionally.Remove the thyme sprigs and cool the onions.
To prepare the stuffed shells:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).
- Spray (or brush) the bottom of the baking dish with olive oil and place the sliced French bread (cut side up) into the dish.
- Drizzle (or brush) the bread with olive oil and sprinkle the bread evenly with the garlic powder and half of the fresh thyme leaves.
- Use a large spoon to liberally fill the cooked and cooled pasta shells with the cooled caramelized onions.Place the stuffed shells on top of the prepared French bread slices.
- Add the prepared cheese over the stuffed shells and sprinkle the top with the remaining fresh thyme leaves.
- Bake uncovered in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden and the shells are heated through.If additional time is needed, cover the dish with foil and return it to the oven for 10-12 more minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you'll enjoy making, serving, and of course eating these incredible stuffed shells as much as I've enjoyed bringing them to you.
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
All of the recipes you'll find here on my website are in loving memory of my son, Greg, who left this earth far too soon and will be forever in our hearts.
Diana says
Just wanted to come back and tell you I cooked it according to your directions and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Renée says
I'm so thrilled for you, Diana! There is nothing you could tell me that would make me happier! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know that the recipe was successful for you! You are so welcome!!! 🙂
Diana says
Can't wait to make this! Quick question - I've never seen a recipe with 8 hours on high. Should that read 8 hours on low?
Renée says
Hi Diana,
I did 8 hours on high because I wanted to get my onions as deeply caramelized as possible. Feel free to turn the cooker down to low and see how the onions are cooked according to your preference. I hope this answers your question.
Renee
Diana says
Thank you! How thick did you slice your onions?
Renée says
Because they cook so long, the specific size doesn't really matter. That said, I sliced mine between a quarter inch and a half inch. They don't need to be that precise.
megunprocessed says
This is creative! Great pictures.
amyengberson says
Gorgeous photos! And I'm absolutely in love with all that cheese!
Renée says
Thank you so much, Amy! I appreciate it, and I'm glad you like all the cheese. Me too 🙂
amindfullmom says
Renee--this is an incredible idea for a meal! I love it!
Amy Stafford says
All that ooey-gooey cheese! Looks incredible.
Joanie Zisk says
Goodness, what a unique recipe. I love the idea of stuffing the shells with the delicious cooked onions and then topping it off with mounds of cheese. This has to be absolutely delicious!
Renée says
Thank you so much, Joanie. Everything's better with mounds of cheese 😉
Krista says
This is such a great idea! I cannot wait to try this out!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
I have been drooling over this since I saw it on social media yesterday! 😉 My husband loves French onion soup, so I know he would love these stuffed shells.
Renée says
Thanks, Carrie! I'm glad to know these made you drool 😉
Katerina @ Diethood says
This is absolutely amaaaazing!! I can't wait to try it!!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
This recipe is genius and totally crave worthy! I love onion and pasta everything so this is a match made in heaven for me! YUM!
Renée says
Thanks, Sheena! I appreciate it!