Think about onions as tender and caramelized as these you’d discover in a bowl of French onion soup, solely they’re topped with melted cheese and served as a aspect dish or a topping. That’s Tennessee onions! This recipe thinly slices candy onions and layers them with spices and shredded cheese, then slowly bakes them till they’re meltingly tender. Tennessee onions are positively on the prime of the listing of my all-time favourite onion recipes.

What are Tennessee onions?

Though we don’t know who created Tennessee onions, we do comprehend it’s one of many many iconic Southern aspect dishes. The star of the recipe is the Vidalia onion, a kind of onion that’s candy as a substitute of pungent. The candy onions are thinly sliced, tossed with seasonings and baked with shredded cheese. Within the oven, the onions caramelize due to their pure sugars and a small quantity of brown sugar added to the spice mix.

These tender onions make an exquisite accompaniment to roasts like Thanksgiving turkey or roast beef. They’re scrumptious with barbecued meats, or as a tasty topping for burgers, sizzling canine and sandwiches.

Elements for Tennessee Onions

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• Candy onions: Our recipe requires Vidalia, however Walla Wallas and Mauis are some candy onions you need to use as a substitute. Sweetness means you’ll be able to lower the onions with out crying!
• Butter: You should utilize salted or unsalted right here. It melts into the onions as they bake, making them tender.
• Cheeses: This Tennessee onion recipe has plenty of cheese! We use a mix of shredded mozzarella and cheddar, together with grated Parmesan. Grate your personal cheese as a substitute of utilizing the bagged stuff; it’ll soften significantly better.
• Brown sugar: The onions are tossed with just a little brown sugar to reinforce their pure sweetness. The extra sugar additionally contributes to caramelization.
• Seasonings: This recipe makes use of a wide range of spices to provide it savory taste. They embody thyme, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, oregano, floor mustard, garlic powder and just a little cayenne.
• Parsley: Chop contemporary herbs like parsley and sprinkle them over the onions simply earlier than serving so as to add just a few flecks of colour to the browned dish.

Instructions

Step 1: Coat the onions

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Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.

In a big microwave-safe bowl, microwave 1 tablespoon of butter for 30 seconds or till it’s melted. Add the sliced onions to the bowl and toss to coat them within the butter. In a small bowl, stir collectively the brown sugar, thyme, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, oregano, mustard, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour the spice mix over the onions, then toss the onions and spices collectively.

Editor’s Tip: Separate the sliced onions into particular person rings in order that all of them cook dinner evenly and change into tender.

Step 2: Layer the onions and cheese

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Combine the mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan collectively in a medium bowl. Measure out 3/4 cup of the cheese combination and set it apart for later. Lay half of the seasoned onions within the backside of the baking dish. Layer half of the remaining cheese combination over the onions.

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Repeat these steps with the remainder of the onions and the opposite half of the remaining cheese combination. Then, slice the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into 5 or 6 items and dot them excessive of the cheese.

Step 3: Bake the Tennessee onions

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Cowl the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put it within the oven. Bake the coated dish for 45 minutes. Then, take away the foil and bake the onions, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved 3/4 cup of shredded cheese excessive. Bake the onions for an additional 10 minutes or till the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Step 4: Add parsley and serve

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to chill barely. Sprinkle contemporary, chopped parsley excessive and serve the Tennessee onions whereas they’re heat.

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Tennessee Onions Variations

• Use contemporary garlic: So as to add one other dimension of taste to the onions, mince contemporary garlic with instruments like a Microplane zester or mini chopper and add it to the dish.
• Strive different cheeses: The mix of cheeses on this recipe is ideal, however you can too swap in different good melting cheeses. Think about Swiss, Havarti, sharp cheddar or smoked Gouda.
• Add Cajun spice: A favourite twist on Tennessee onions is to make use of a Cajun seasoning mix instead of the spice mix as known as for in our recipe. With numerous pepper and chili powder, it provides the onions a spicy kick.

The way to Retailer Tennessee Onions

Permit the Tennessee onions to chill, after which switch them to tightly sealed meals storage containers. Retailer the onions within the fridge.

How lengthy do Tennessee onions final?

For one of the best taste and texture, it’s finest to get pleasure from Tennessee onions inside three to 4 days of baking them.

Are you able to freeze Tennessee onions?

We desire to not freeze Tennessee onions. The freezing and thawing course of leaves the caramelized onions with an disagreeable, mushy texture. It’s finest to maintain them within the fridge and use them inside just a few days.

How do you reheat Tennessee onions?

Place Tennessee onions in a baking dish and canopy them with foil. Reheat the onions at 350° for 20 to half-hour till they’re sizzling. Small parts of the onions can be reheated within the microwave in a loosely coated dish. Microwave the onions in 30-second bursts, stirring after each, till they’re heated by way of.

Tennessee Onions Suggestions

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What’s one of the simplest ways to slice onions?

For this Tennessee onions recipe, one of the simplest ways to slice the candy onions is into skinny rings. Thicker rings is usually a little rubbery and laborious to chunk by way of, so skinny rings shall be simple to eat as soon as baked. Begin with a pointy kitchen knife and lower the highest off the candy onion. Peel off the outer pores and skin. Maintain the onion on its aspect on a reducing board and thoroughly slice it horizontally into 1/4-inch rings. In the event you’re having bother maintaining the onion regular, slice just a little piece off the half that rests on the reducing board so it sits flat. And keep in mind to take your time! It’s higher to be secure than sorry.

What must you serve with Tennessee onions?

These candy onions are scrumptious served alongside any sort of roast, whether or not it’s a Sunday roast rooster, a vacation turkey or a pork roast. At your subsequent barbecue, set Tennessee onions out to get pleasure from with grilled sausages, pulled pork, burgers and barbecued rooster. Use Tennessee onions as a filling in grilled cheese sandwiches, deli sandwiches or Reubens. You possibly can even combine them into mashed potatoes! For anybody who loves caramelized onions, the probabilities listed below are countless.

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Candy and tender Tennessee onions are scrumptious as a topping for burgers and grilled sausages or served as a aspect dish with barbecues and roasts. Slice the onions fastidiously into rings which can be 1/4-inch thick. This dimension ensures the rings soften utterly, making them simple to chunk by way of. —Nancy Mock, Southbridge, Massachusetts