The Yummy Goodness of a Carmelized Onion.......

Nothing adds more flavor to one of my favorite savory dishes like a sweet, golden brown, caramelized onion.  Vidalia onions are my onion of choice - any time of year.

From the moment the extra virgin olive oil and a slice of butter hit the bottom of my hot sautee pan, I can just smell and taste how good dinner is going to be that night.   After I quickly slice up several vidalia onions, I place them in the sautee pan - careful not to over crowd or steam them.  The key is to sautee the onions slowly on a low heat, which allows all the goodness of the onions to come through.   I am careful not to stir the contents of my sautee pan too often.  This allows the genuine sweetness of the onions to rise from the fresh, organic onions just purchased from the local farmers market.  Some cooks like to add a bit of sugar for added flavor, some like to add diet coke as a lower calorie option.  I like to keep the onions simple and as natural as possible.  As the onions start to brown, I know I am on my way to a heavenly dinner ...... so many, many options for my sweet, cooked onions .... where do I begin.......here are a few of my favorites

• Caramelized Mushroom and Onion Lasagna -  A very light and healthy recipe which will be coming to my blog soon.  It is INCREDIBLE!

• Whole Grain Rigatoni Pasta with Marsala Caramelized Onion Sauce - Simple, yet addicting.  Cook down 3-4 large onions until they are almost a sauce - it will take a long time, but it is worth the wait.  Once the onions are broken down, add a touch of Marsala Wine and a little more butter  - you will have an incredibly sweet and velvety Marsala Onion Sauce.   Before adding the pasta to the sautee pan (any kind of pasta will do), be sure to add a little bit of the pasta water to the bottom of the sautee pan.  The natural starches in the pasta water will thicken your sauce and deglaze the pan at the same time.  By deglazing the pan, you are picking up all of the scrumptous bits on the bottom of the pan that add so much flavor to your dish.
  

• Incredible Caramelized Onions, Stilton Bleu Cheese & Fresh Rosemary  Tart- This is the easiest tart crust you will ever make - and it is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser when I make this one for friends and family!  (Recipe coming soon.)
  

•  Amy's Chicken Sausage, Red Roasted Peppers, Spinach and Caramelized Onions - Sautee everything in one single pan, and you have a fast, light and healthy dinner for the whole family!

•  French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese - Add a piece of of incredible country bread before topping the soup with Gruyere cheese.  This a great comfort food on a cold day like today.   This one reminds me of my childhood.  I can still remember my mother making these in her gorgeous french soup bowls.

• Puree the Sauteed Onion in a Cuisinart and add it to your favorite ground meat as your secret ingredient - it makes any meatloaf, burger and casserole taste that much better!  Everyone will be wondering what made your dish taste so good!
  

• Make the Onions into an incredible Onion Gravy when making a Beef Brisket or Pot Roast.  Sautee the onions before adding them to any beef brisket or pot roast for flavor.  I make a mean beef brisket!   Brown a lean, seasoned beef brisket in a dutch oven.  Set aside and then caramelize the onions with sweet paprika.  Once caramelized, add water to the sautee pan, bring it to a boil, and finally add the onion mixture to the dutch oven with the beef brisket. Cook the beef for several hours in the oven until the meat is tender.  Cool it and place in the fridge overnight.  The next day, remove the beef from the onion mixture it had just cooked in the previous day.   Puree the remaining onions and remaining liquid from the dutch oven in a Cuisinart.  The onion mixture is now flavored with the incredible taste of the beef,  You now have an unbelievable onion gravy for the brisket.  Slice the brisket and place in an oven safe dish and cover with the onion gravy.  Heat and and serve with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus!   This recipe is a keeper, as it is my mother's incredible beef brisket - that will remain in our family for years to come.
  

The possibilities are endless - some easy, some very complicated.   I love the way the house smells after the onions are sweetened and golden brown.  I could eat them right out of the pan, but any way would do me just fine!  

I will be posting these recipes over the coming weeks and months.  If you just have to have the recipe now, please let me know and I would be happy to send it along to you. 

What is your favorite recipe with caramelized onions?

Buon Appetito!