Onion recipes, in many cases, treat the onion as more of a supporting player than the star. While there’s nothing wrong with that approach, onions can also take center stage. A cored onion stuffed with sausage makes a satisfying meal. French onion soup is a classic for a reason. Burned onions have a bitter, acrid taste, so keep the heat low enough to gently brown and caramelize for best flavor.
Creamed Pearl Onions
- 4 cups pearl onions
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Dash pepper
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
In a Dutch oven or large kettle, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add pearl onions; boil until tender, 6-7 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; peel and set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in broth and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the parsley, cheese and onions. Pour into an ungreased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes; stir. Top with pimientos if desired. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through.
Caramelized Onion & Garlic Pasta
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 1 package (16 ounces) uncooked angel hair pasta
- 9 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, optional
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add the onions, pepper flakes and salt; saute until onions are tender. Stir in garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes or until onions are deep golden brown. Add the tomatoes, vinegar and 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; toss with onion mixture. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese, and pepper; heat through. Garnish with basil if desired.
Grandma’s Onion Squares
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 5 tablespoons shortening
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions; cook and stir until softened, 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until deep golden brown, 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until moistened. Press into a greased 9-in. square baking pan; top with onions. Combine egg and sour cream; spread over onion layer. Bake until golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cut into squares. Serve warm.
- French Onion Soup
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 pounds Vidalia onions (about 4 medium), halved lengthwise, peeled, and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar1½ cups dry white wine
- 6 cups homemade beef broth
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 baguette
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 teaspoons sherry, preferably Fino or Manzanilla
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
In a large Dutch oven or other large pot, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the oil and onions; cook onions are until softened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown and caramelized, reducing heat slightly if onions seem to be browning too quickly, 35 to 45 minutes more. Add wine and raise heat to high. Cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Tie thyme and bay leaves into a bundle with twine. Add broth and herb bundle to pot with onions. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until broth is thickened and flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Taste and adjust seasoning. Heat the broiler. Cut two ½-inch baguette slices for every serving of soup. Place baguette slices on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until crisp and dry but not browned, about 1 minute per side. Rub one side of each toast with the garlic clove and set aside. Place ramekins or ovensafe bowls on a rimmed baking sheet, add ½ teaspoon of sherry to the bottom of each, and ladle soup on top. Top each serving of soup with two garlic-rubbed toasts. Divide cheese among the servings, covering the bread and some of the soup. Carefully transfer baking sheet to oven and broil until cheese is melted and bubbling, 4 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, if using regular soup bowls: Top each garlic-rubbed toast with some cheese and return to broiler to melt, about 2 minutes more. Divide sherry and soup among bowls, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and top each serving with two cheese toasts.)
French Onion Chicken
- 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced into rings
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons beef broth, divided
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian blend herbs/Italian seasoning – (OR ¼ teaspoon dried basil + ¼ teaspoon dried thyme + ½ teaspoon dried oregano)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 slices Provolone cheese
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese
- fresh thyme or parsley and cracked black pepper for topping
Preheat oven to bake at 400°F or broil on low. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add onions and 3 tablespoons beef broth and saute onions for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally so the onions don’t burn, for about 15 minutes longer until browned and very tender. Use tongs or a fork to transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm. While onions are cooking, prepare the chicken by drizzling with oil, then seasoning with salt and pepper (to taste) and Italian herbs. Once onions have finished cooking and are removed from the pan, cook chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side (don’t clean out the pan between the onions and chicken) until browned on both sides. (Chicken may not be fully cooked through yet, that is okay). Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm and return the onions to the pan. Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add beef broth and continue to cook, stirring throughout, until mixture comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to pan and spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Top chicken with one slice of provolone each, then one slice of Swiss, then 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer skillet to your preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through completely and cheeses are melted. Spoon some of the onions and gravy over the top of the chicken, garnish with thyme or parsley and cracked black pepper, and serve.
Onion Potato Casserole
- ½ cup coconut oil, butter or lard
- 8 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 2 medium onions, quartered
- 2½ tablespoons sugar
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish: chopped scallions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Pour oil into a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish. Finely chop onions using a food processor or very sharp knife. Place them in a large bowl. Shred potatoes in a food processor or with a box grater. Add potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the onions. Mix all ingredients together. Place oiled casserole dish in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan and swirl the oil around to cover the sides. Pour some of it into the potato mixture. Mix well. Spoon potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish and cook for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. Garnish with scallions.
French Onion Potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 5-6 medium size potatoes sliced into 1/2 thick half slices
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 stick butter cubed
- 1 ¼ cups leftover french onion soup
- 1/2-1 tsp salt
- crushed black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Drizzle olive oil in a 9×13 casserole dish and spread it to coat the bottom. In a large bowl, mix potatoes, onions, butter, french onion soup, salt, and pepper.Pour into casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until potatoes are fork tender.
Sour Cream and Onion Dip
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 c. dry sherry
- 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 8-oz. block cream cheese
- 1/3 c. mayonnaise
- 3/4 c. shredded Monterey jack, plus more for topping
- 3/4 c. shredded Gruyère
- Finely chopped chives, for serving
- Baguette, for serving
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and jammy, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, stir in sherry and thyme and simmer until almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and cheeses. Mix in caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish set on a small baking sheet and smooth top with a spatula. Top with more shredded cheeses. Bake until bubbly and slightly golden, about 30 minutes. If you’d like the dip to develop a more golden top, broil on high for 2 minutes. Serve with baguette on the side, for dipping.
