There is no single ingredient that I have a stronger love/hate relationship with than onions.
Onions are amazing in just about every savory dish: there are few sauces, soups, and stews that are not improved by a bit of onion. And the fresh bite of raw onion and smoky sweetness of grilled onions are hard to beat on hot dogs, burgers, brats, and other sandwich-y type dishes.
My absolute fave? Caramelized onions. So, so delicious, but they’re kind of a pain/time commitment to prepare. I like baking because you just chuck the thing in the oven, set a timer, and walk away until it's ready. So anything that requires constant supervision is a big no for me.
Which brings me to the hate aspect of onions: having to prep them. Nothing like burning eyes with tears running down your face and shoddy knife skills to make you never want to cook with onions ever.
Luckily, this recipe I tested over Thanksgiving and hope to perfect for Christmas is SO easy, requires minimal chopping, and gets pretty darn close to the delicious sweetness of caramelized onions. My only suggestion is to remember to set timers and not forget about the onions during the stovetop portion, so you don’t accidentally char the tops. Ask me how I know…
(What, I already said I was bad at things that require constant supervision! Don’t worry, the char scraped off easily and my family loved this side dish)
Slightly charred roast onion halves |
Roast Onion Halves Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 onions
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar (both brown and granulated are fine)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Halve and peel the onions, but don’t cut off the root.
- Put in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper (to taste; I did about a teaspoon of salt and many grinds of black pepper) plus a pinch or two of sugar. Toss so the onions are evenly coated with oil and seasonings.
- Place cut-side down in a cast iron skillet (or any oven-safe pan) and cook over medium heat for ten minutes. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can sear on the stovetop and then transfer the onions to a baking dish for the next step.
- Flip the onions so they’re cut-side up and then transfer the pan to the oven.
- Roast for 30-40 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.
- Enjoy!
Variations: Would also be great with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes or cayenne, and/or maple syrup instead of sugar (watch carefully because it burns easily at high heat!)
Cast of characters: Onions, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and olive oil |
Halve and peel the onions, then toss in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, making sure the onions are evenly coated with the oil and seasonings. |
Place in a heavy, oven safe pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. |
Flip the onions cut-side up and slide into a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes until onions are soft and sweet. Enjoy! |
What a fantastic way to do onions, Mia! We'll be trying that here. Hugs. MJ
ReplyDeleteThanks, MJ! Hope they turn out well for you.
DeleteI adore onions, and this looks absolutely heavenly! Gonna try it out this week! Thanks, Mia!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Leslie! I'm sure yours will turn out much better than mine did!
DeleteLove onions. And, yes, they can be a drag to fix. But when they are done right, oh my goodness!
ReplyDeleteI'm fond of roasting them in the oven.
I'll have to try this approach.
Hope you enjoy them, Libby! Thanks as always for commenting.
DeleteYou are spot-on about the glories and challenges of onions! Caramelized on a grilled cheese sandwich -- heaven! Thanks for another great suggestion.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I've done grilled cheese with roasted garlic but never caramelized onions! I'll definitely have to try that.
DeleteRoasted vegetables have become my new go-to for side dishes and I think these onions will be perfect with a roast. Since it's my husband and me I'm going to try freezing 2/3 of the recipe. Cooking for two is SO different than cooking for four when our children were still at home so I've been experimenting with following a recipe but freezing part of it instead of trying to halve everything. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI can barely cook without onions and garlic, but sometimes a teary pain! I've tried every type of garlic peeler, but gave up and now just smush the cloves with the big chef's knife! I love roasted onions, and especially with some balsamic vinegar, yum!
ReplyDelete