I know I can always chop and freeze onions. And I will with the rest. But I wanted to do something else, make the onions the star of the show somehow. I was talking to an older gentleman, Vern, at work about this. Vern is a regular customer and has become a good friend to my husband and I. We talk a lot about gardening and canning as well as the many funny stories he tells us about his past adventures. Vern, after a few beers, had a great idea pop out of his head. He said to me “why don’t you make stuffed onions?” He has never had them, but thought it sounded good. Great idea Vern!
Wow! These were so fragrant and savory! So good! Well worth the effort of cleaning out the insides of the inion. The struggle is real. I had tears down my cheeks for miles it felt like. I had to take a couple breaks. But OMG! I am pretty sure this is one of my husband’s favorite meals now. He almost likes everything I make. So to be a favorite, it MUST be good!
Here is the process I used; ingredients are below. I cleaned out 4 peeled, large onions, into bowls essentially. I did not go all the way through the bottom, as you need a “boat” to hold the filling. I also stuffed the filling with a chunk of a smoked mozzarella cheese stick. Once filled I wrapped in bacon and secured with toothpicks. I baked at 300 for an hour. I took them out, brushed with BBQ sauce and baked another 20 minutes. After that I sprinkled the tops with shredded cheese and baked another 15 minutes or so until the cheese was bubbly and starting to brown.
I served with a side of creamy ranch asparagus pasta salad. This was a great summer dinner! You can also make these in a smoker. I didn’t have wood chips on hand to use tonight. If you are having dinner guests and want to impress them this isa good one. It looks pretty fancy, will have your house smelling so delicious when your guests arrive and will delight their taste buds!
Ingredients (4 servings)
4 Large White Onions
1 pound ground pork
Rosemary (I have a coffee grinder I use for herbs; this dish is better if you grind the rosemary and basil)
Basil
Nature’s Seasons, a few shakes. (I use this a lot. It is salt, pepper, garlic and onion seasonings all in one)
2 stick of smoked string cheese, cut into 4 chunks
1 pound of bacon
½ cup your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup of shredded cheese
