5 holiday appetizers made with caramelized onions

The slow cooker easily creates mounds of delicious caramelized onions that can be used to create these savory appetizers for your holiday party or any occasion.

Tue, Dec 06 2011 at 1:50 PM

Related Topics:

Organic Cooking, Recipes, Christmas

photo: Theresa Carpenter/Flickr

Yesterday, I told you about my adventure in slow cooker caramelized onions. The onions turned out great. The smell in my house wasn’t so great, but I’m determined to continue to use this easy method to caramelize onions. Next time, the slow cooker will be on my patio while it’s working it’s magic, though.

I didn’t have any specific plan in mind for the onions after they were cooked. I was just curious to see if the method worked. Since it did, I now need to use them up. Since I’m throwing a Christmas party this weekend, I thought I’d find a way to use the caramelized onions in an appetizer.

Here are five recipes that use caramelized onions that I’ve bookmarked. I wonder which one I’ll end up deciding to make.

Cucumber cups with caramelized onion and bacon – Cucumbers become the edible bowl that holds a filling made with caramelized onions, bacon, sour cream and spices. It’s like putting the dip right inside the veggie. And the green color of the cucumbers makes them look very festive for the holidays.
Caramelized onion tart with apples – If the caramelized onions are already done, then this recipe can be thrown together quickly. Puff pastry creates the crust for this tart that can be sliced up into appetizer-sized pieces.
Caramelized Onion-Cranberry-Cream Cheese Bites – Seasonal cranberries are added to the onions with balsamic vinegar to make a compote. Whole grain crackers are topped with cream cheese and then the compote to make pop-in-your mouth treats.
Baked Brie with Candied Walnuts and Caramelized Onions – Brie wrapped in phyllo dough often has a surprise inside – jam, candied walnuts, and of course, caramelized onions.
Pan-Fried Onion Dip – Forget the packet of dried onion soup mixed with sour cream. This onion soup dip starts with pan-fried (caramelized) onions and adds them to creamy ingredients with a few spices to create a dip for vegetables, crackers and chips. There is also a video if you’d like to watch Ina Garten easily throw it all together in the food processor.

I’m leaning toward doing the baked brie recipe using the brie-like Puddle Duck Creek cheese from Hillacres Pride, but that dip is tempting, too. I have plenty of onions; maybe I’ll make them both.

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

Previous Post
Chick-fil-A's bullying is a boon for 'Eat More Kale' T-shirt maker

Next Post
Interesting happenings in fast food