Caramelized Onions
Caramelizing is a great way to preserve your onions and they are great to have stocked away in the freezer to make a basic meal more tasty. It's one of my stock-the-freezer must-haves. See Notes for ideas on what to use them with...
Ingredients
- 5 pounds onions thinly sliced use only enough onions to fill crock pot 3/4 full
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- optional: various herbs thyme or sage work well, but base your herbs on what you will serve them with
Instructions
- Add ingredients to slow cooker, then toss to coat. Don't fill the slow cooker more than 3/4 full.
- Set cooker to LOW and cook for 8-10 hours. Stir occasionally, if you are around.
- The onions are done when they take on the perfect golden-brown caramelized color, this is a personal preference. If there's too much juice still in the cooker, set the lid ajar and cook another 3-5 hours, but check it regularly to get it where you want it.
- When done, package up into various sized containers to go in the freezer, depending on how you plan on using the onions. 2-oz containers are great for adding to appetizers or topping steaks or chicken or sandwiches; 1-cup containers would be easier for a family, and once you open it, you can put it back in the fridge to use over the next week or so. If you plan on making French Onion Soup, it will take this whole batch, probably.
- Use a cold water bath to quickly cool your apportioned caramelized onions
- Label & Freeze!
Notes
Use as a topping on:Mashed Potatoes
- Pizza
- Baked Potatoes
- Mix with cream cheese and cracked black pepper for a dip
- Serve on thin slices of toasted chewy bread with goat cheese or cream cheese
- Pasta
- Bake into bread or biscuits
- Sandwiches (especially steak sandwiches!!)
- Top grilled steak, chicken, or pork chops
