I’ve been practicing up for Thanksgiving and I think these baked stuffed onions will have pride of place at the dinner table. They aren’t difficult to make and can be made up ahead of time and baked off just before dinner. That’s a good thing when there are people coming and things to do. Anything I can get done early means I’ll have more fun on the day.
Today is John’s real birthday. He’s 21 with 40 years experience. We celebrated by taking a cake, cream, some fresh cut mango and blueberries to the olds so they could feel a part of their baby’s birthday. Sadly, Joan was back in angry mode, looking for reasons to hate Rob. Recently she wrote down on a piece of paper all the reasons why she should hate him. I know it’s not funny but I cracked up. I told John I was going to keep a running list at our house. He said, “On the white board??”
To celebrate John’s birthday, SPG Restaurants and Bars and their #savourandsave campaign have offered one Orgasmic Chef reader a $100 voucher for dinner to be spent at any of these restaurants. If you’re in the area where these good restaurants are, please enter to win. To enter, please like me on Facebook and in the comments tell us which restaurant you’d like to visit and why you chose that one. The best reason wins. I recently dined at Peter Kuruvita’s Noosa Beach House restaurant and if that’s any guide to quality, one of these restaurants would be an excellent night out. Winner announced on the 24th.
- The Eatery @ Four Points by Sheraton Brisbane
- Little Collin’s St Kitchen @ Sheraton Melbourne Hotel
- Feast, Conservatory bar @ Sheraton on the Park
- Mosaic Restaurant, the bar @ The Westin Sydney
- Allegro Restaurant, Lobby Loung @ The Westin Melbourne
- The Best Brew @ Four Points by Sheraton Perth
- Pearls, Terrace Restaurant @ Sheraton Mirage Resort & Spa Gold Coast
- Beach House Restaurant @ Sheraton Noose & Spa
- Reef Restaurant @ Sheraton New Caledonia Deva Resort & Spa
- Le Fare @ Le Meridien Noumea
- Flying Fish @ Sheraton Resort & Spa, Tokoriki Island
- Ocean Terrace, The Kitchen @ The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa
- Feast, Port O Calls, Flying Fish @ Sheraton Fiji Resort
- Wet Edge @ Sheraton Denarau Villas
Now to these onions. I have never met an onion I couldn’t be best friends with and these are no exception. They’re stuffed with onions so it’s a win-win for me. John wasn’t too sure until he took the first bite and said, “Oh yeah, these will do.” High praise from a quiet man. AND on his birthday.
- 4 large sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla Sweet if you can get them, otherwise any 4 large onions of the same size will do fine)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ clove garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ⅓ cup chicken stock (may need a touch more)
- 1 teaspoon mixed dry herbs
- 1 tablespoon cream
- ⅛ cup Panko bread crumbs
- Dusting of Paprika
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Chop both ends of each onion, then peel away the outer skin and place the them in a covered casserole dish. Add just a little water on the bottom of the dish to create some steam and microwave for 5 minutes. The onion should be soft but not overcooked. Leave covered for 2 minutes.
- Uncover and let cool until you can handle the onions.
- Remove the inner core of the onions. You can use a knife or get it out by putting a fork in the center and twirling the core out. Remove the cores to a cutting board.
- Roughly chop the inner layers of the onion into small pieces.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté in the butter for 3 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the onions and stir with a spatula to combine. (if your stock is salty, reduce the amount of salt)
- Stir constantly until the flour turns light brown, about 4 -5 minutes.
- Add the white wine and quickly stir it in.
- Add the chicken stock and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes more.
- Add the cream and taste for seasoning.
- Using a teaspoon, fill the onion shells with the creamed onion mixture, pressing down gently after each spoonful.
- Top with a sprinkling of panko crumbs and sprinkle a bit of paprika for color.
- Bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown.
Better go spend some time with the birthday boy.
Noosa Beach House would be wonderful. I have loved Peter Kuruvita on SBS and it would be a treat to dine in his restauran.
Happy actual birthday to John!
Can I be cheeky and nominate my Mum & Dad on my behalf?! It’s their 50th Wedding Anniversary in January and they have been talking about doing an afternoon tea for ages and haven’t gotten around to it so The Parisian Affair at Little Collins St Kitchen would be perfect.
I’ve liked you for ages:) I’ve liked SPG too.
How nice to give John an onion for his birthday! 🙂 Happy Birthday, John. I like that whiteboard idea! Anyway, super recipe — really, really nice. Thanks.
Damn delicious!!!
never had stuffed onion before, tempting to try!!!
HappyBirthday to John! 21 is a beautiful age, and when it comes with bonus experience, even better!
(getting ready to check out of our hotel in Chicago, and looking forward to hugging my Mom!)
He has a LOT of experience 🙂
Congratulations, John. I know your birthday is/was a wonderful event.
Great stuffed onion recipe. There are few recipes (barring desserts) that a bit of onion doesn’t make better.
This looks so good making tonight with scallops….thanks so much for your time
These are the best stuffed onions I have seen yet. The cream is what makes them. I might have added cheese.
Happy Birthday John and many more. Also like the Continuing Saga of Joan and Rob. Should be a new TV show. Would be much better than the pablum on TV these days. Thanks for the laugh. 🙂
Happy birthdayto John and ilove these stuffed onions Maureen
Happy belated birthday to John, Maureen! And these “baked stuffed onions” are such a BRILLIANT idea – I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like them!
I have never done stuffed onions, these look so good I am going to tuck them away and give them a try. And, of course, Happy Birthday to John.
Happy Birthday to John!
I’ve never had stuffed onions before – they look so savory and delicious!
Goodness…I have never seen onions that way! Great side dish!
Happy birthday onions…they are gorgeous Maureen! Thanks for your creativeness & sharing :)) xx
We are a family that enjoys onions, and I utilize them in a lot of my dishes, but they are never the “star.” You dressed up these onions so well. I love this recipe!
And a very happy bday to John; I’m also a scorpion 🙂
Happy birthday to John with 40 years of experience. That’s so funny about Joan – that list would have been priceless. So sad though that she’s spending so much time being angry; she must have a lot of unresolved issues. I would love to go to one of those restaurants in Fiji but will probably have to settle for a dining-in-Sydney experience so do count me in on the competition. I think these onions would be fantastic for Thanksgiving – I’ve never had a stuffed onion! xx
Happy birthday to John… hope it was a happy one after all the kerfuffle. Darn that Joan! And good luck to the entrants in this giveaway. The onions look good!
Hullo Miss Maureen and Happy Birthday John! Hope you had a wonderful birthday and with those onions I imagine you did.
Don’t they look lovely when cut in half? Did they slice easily – because that presentation is just gorgeous!
I am trying to plan a holiday for Dave and I after we sell our house as it’s been one hell of a year. Sheraton Tokoriki Island in Fiji is the plan – and Peter Kuruvita has the restaurant there too – it looks amazing. So I will put my hat in for the Beach House Restairant at Sheraton Noosa – and I will go like SPG’s facebook page now. You know I already love yours xxx
The onions are really tender, you could cut them with an ordinary table knife.
Wow I think I’ve never eaten a stuffed onion, these look amazing! I have to try! Happy birthday to John!
I hope John had a wonderful birthday. I’d forgotten all about stuffed onions. My mother made them when I was very young, but being a daddy child I always refused to eat them. These look particularly delicious, perfect for Thanksgiving or for us here, great on Christmas Day. GG
Happy birthday to John 🙂 These stuffed onions would take pride of place on my table they look great!
These onions look so sumptuous and flavorful, Maureen! I love Thanksgiving, don’t you? Any holiday revolving around food has my vote!
I love stuffed onions, and those elook absolutely delightful!
A big congratulations to John! I love the way you described it “He’s 21 with 40 years experience”! Haha I’m going to use that one with my parents next time 😀 Oh Joan, poor Joan…poor you guys!
Dang…. I dont think I have ever had a stuffed onion before. Better get on changing that. They look freakin delicious.
G’day What a mouth watering recipe Maureen! I’d like to dive right in!
Happy birthday to John and what a great giveaway!
Cheers! Joanne
Happy Birthday to John! Your baked stuffed onion recipe sounds delicious!
yummy!! These have my name on them, I am going to give them a try, I love how sweet and tender onions get when they are baked. Happy birthday do John
These onions remind me greatly of the ones at my childhood New England Thanksgiving. We always had pearl onions in a cream sauce on the Thanksgiving table. Now that I live in Tennessee, everyone here thinks I nuts. Don’t care! I make them for me every year and somehow they disappear. Somehow, I’m converting someone to my way, because I’m not eating them all! Do you miss Thanksgiving now that you live so far away? It’s my favorite time of the year and I think I would have to have all the fixings even if I lived far away.
LOL Juanita, I was raised in Maine and moved to Knoxville to go to college and now I live in Australia. I still have those onions! 🙂
Onion stuffed onion…I love it! Stuffed onion have always been big in this house so I know we would both enjoy these!
Daaaaaaamn! What mind-blowing onion-idea! This is such a happy, cute, jolly recipe that I’m dying to try out. I would have done it right now if it was not 11:30pm 🙂
Pretty pictures. Thanks a billion, Your Highness, for this great recipe. Hugs.
I have NEVER tried stuffed onion, but we stuff it into everything else so why not give them a go right? 😀
Lovely photos, my stomach is growling 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I also love onions and would be very happy to have someone serve these to me on my birthday! Love the olds. What else can you do?
Happy 21st John! I had to laugh at the list too. I might install a whiteboard in our kitchen.
I have not seen stuffed onions for ages! I love the idea of a list, and if it is on a white board you can change it as often as you want 🙂
Interesting – I’ve never stuffed an onion. Probably because I couldn’t be stuffed. Now, however, I’m tempted to give it a whirl. Thanks for the inspiration!
Happy birthday John Boy – I’ve heard the Noosa Beach house rocks. x
OMG, Maureen!!! You just placed onion two notches higher! I love what you did here. They look really tasty!!! Good luck to all joiners!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Perfect for the Thanksgiving table! And so sorry about your MIL…but the giggling will help you through the tough times.
Beautiful stuffed onions! You practice Thanksgiving? I think it is more important that people need to start practice eating as it is going to me one orgasmic chef memorable feast!
Happy Birthday to John. I love the 21 plus 4o years experience! If you don’t mind I think I’ll use that one from now on too! Love those onions – they would make any plate look quite gourmet!
Why have I never had a stuffed onion before? I have been missing out. This are awesome!!!! Thank you Maureen for bringing me up to speed.
What a gorgeous location that is for a meal. I just love your stuffed onions they are gorgeous and I am sure taste equally so!
Dear Maureen,
Happy birthday to John and LOL 21 years with 40 years experience! This baked recipe looks delicious though I am tempted to add some cheddar and parmesan though 🙂
Oh awesome, I love cooked onions. I recently saw some onions at the store that were kind of flat and wide, sort of the shape of a donut peach – I bet they would look very cute stuffed and baked. I hope they still have them next time I go food shopping!
What awesome onions. I have never, every thought to stuff them like this and they look superb with such a flavoursome filling. Happy Birthday to John!
John is 21 too? Well apparently my husband is forever 21 as well. =D
I always wanted to try stuffed baked onions here in goa but since we only get the purple onions here I never dared, they are quite strong. So maybe I feel I would need to adjust the recipe and make the filling a bit spicy to balance the flavors. Do you have any other flavor suggestions Maureen?
Happy weekend!
Only purple onions? Interesting. Once baked they should be much sweeter though. I’m going to add cheddar cheese to them next time.
Yup, these’ll do. 🙂
(Happy Birthday to John. )
Haha my dad just turned 61 – I like the way you worded that :). What a scrumptious side dish!
I think I could make a main course out of these. Maybe some bacon in there somewhere:)
Simple but delicious I’m sure. I know I’ll be trying them.
My mum used to make stuffed onions every time we had a roast dinner. I remember there never being enough for everyone. Even though there’s only 5 in our family. I think she must’ve eaten them straight out of the oven. I know I would.
Now I’m off to stalk your other Thanksgiving posts. Wish we would celebrate more traditions in Australia.