Thyme Scented Baked Onions with Bacon & Cheese
Serves | 4 |
Prep time | 30 minutes |
Cook time | 1 hour, 15 minutes |
Total time | 1 hour, 45 minutes |
Region | British |
By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Delicious baked onions with fresh thyme, bacon and Parmesan cheese; makes a perfect comforting supper dish when served with crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 4 Large Onions
- 50g Fresh Wholemeal Breadcrumbs
- 100g smoked lardons or streaky bacon, chopped into small dice
- Crème Fraîche (to mix)
- 50g Parmesan Cheese (plus a little extra for sprinkling over the top)
- Black Pepper (to taste)
- Fresh Thyme (I used Lemon Thyme & it was wonderful)
- 25g Butter (Salted is best)
Note
For vegetarians, omit the bacon and add 100g of grated cheese such as Cheddar or Cheshire cheese - I have also used Sage Derby in the past which works beautifully.
Directions
Step 1 | Cook the onions in their skins for 30 minutes in boiling water, then drain and allow to cool before slipping the skins off. Reserve 6 tablespoons of the onion water for baking later. |
Step 2 | Cut the top of each onion and carefully remove the centres, leaving about 1cm (1") of onion shell. Chop the removed onion centres very finely. |
Step 3 | In a large bowl, mix the chopped onion centres, bacon pieces, breadcrumbs, a tablespoon of finely chopped thyme and Parmesan cheese together, using your hands if necessary. Add sufficient crème fraîche to bind the mixture and then season with black pepper to taste; I used 1/4 teaspoon. |
Step 4 | Spoon the mixture into the onion shells, pressing the mixture down firmly to fill the cavity. Stand the studded onions in an oven-proof dish, shallow is best, and then spoon the reserved onion water in and around the onions. Top each onion with a knob of butter. |
Step 5 | Bake the onions at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Take the onions out just before the end of cooking and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over them , then bake for a further 5 minutes. |
Step 6 | Serve hot with salad, crusty bread or grilled tomatoes for a comforting lunch or supper dish. |
Step 7 | Vegetarian: For vegetarians, omit the bacon and add 100g of grated cheese such as Cheddar or Cheshire cheese - I have also used sage Derby in the past which works beautifully. |