Baked stuffed onions hit the bullseye if you are after the ultimate Christmas side dish to go with your roast turkey or glazed ham. To make them even more delicious they are also doused in parmesan cream.
The onions are rich, hearty, and delicious. So much more fun than a standard baked onion. Stuffing an onion really elevates the humble onion bulb into something rather magical.
They have become a firm family favourite. I often make them during the Australian winter with a roast. Christmas is only once a year, and these onions deserve to be eaten more than once.
Sara xxx
What's in this post
Ingredients
- White Onions: Use white onions (salad onions) if you can as they have a milder and sweeter taste to brown or Spanish (red) onions. They are the perfect choice for stuffed baked onions.
- Salt: Flavour enhancer, used for seasoning.
- Parsley: Adds a herbaceous note to the stuffing. To change things up you could use thyme, basil, or even oregano.
- Pepper: A little seasoning kick to the stuffing.
- Cream: Use thick cream. Along with the parmesan creates a lovely sauce that gets between the onion layers.
- Ham: This can be omitted if you want to make them vegetarian.
- Parmesan: Finely grated it is mixed with the cream to create a delicious sauce.
- Breadcrumbs: Catches all the flavour from the cream and parmesan cheese.
- Garlic: Use one or two crushed cloves, depending on how much you love garlic.
Recipe Walk Through
Fill a large pot with salted water and place on stove top to heat to a simmer.
Whilst water is coming to a simmer, peel skin from onions and remove roots, keeping the onions whole.
Place wooden toothpicks in either side of the onion to hold them together.
Cook onions in simmering water for 30 minutes or until just tender.
Reserve ½ cup of the onion cooking liquid, then drain the onions in to a colander.
Leave onions in colander to cool until easy to handle.
Cut onions in half and remove toothpicks.
Remove the heart of the onion halves and reserve.
Place onion halves, cut side up, in a baking dish that has been lightly greased with olive oil.
Chop the reserved onion hearts finely.
In a medium bowl place finely chopped onion hearts, garlic, ham, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix well.
Stuff mixture into the onions and don’t be scared to pile it high.
Mix cream and parmesan together in a small bowl. Spoon cream mixture over the top of the stuffed onions.
Pour the reserved ½ cup of onion cooking water in the base of the baking dish.
Place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
Serve the baked stuffed onions immediately.
Printable Recipe
Baked Stuffed Onions with Parmesan Cream
Special Equipment
- Large pot
- baking dish
- chopping board + sharp knife
Ingredients
- 6 medium white onions
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 2 tablespoons ham finely diced
- 2 tablespoons continental parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- salt & pepper
- 4 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 150 mls thick cream
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with salted water and place on stove top to heat to a simmer.
- Whilst water is coming to a simmer, peel skin from onions and remove roots, keeping the onions whole. Place a wooden toothpick in either side of the onion to hold them together.
- Cook onions in simmering water for 30 minutes or until just tender. Reserve ½ cup of the onion cooking liquid, then drain the onions into a coladner. Leave onions in the colander to cool until easy to handle.
- Preheat oven at 180°C (350°F).
- Cut onions in half and remove toothpicks.
- Remove the inner hearts of the onions and reserve.
- Oil and baking dish. Place onions cut side up in the baking dish.
- Finely chop reserved onion hearts. In a medium bowl place finely chopped onion hearts, garlic, ham, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Stuff mixture into the onions and don't be scared to pile it high.
- Mix parmesan, and cream, together in a small bowl then spoon over the onions.
- Pour the reserved onion water in to the base of the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately.
Oven Temperatures
All oven temperatures are fan forced.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- 1 teaspoon equals 5ml
- 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml (Nth America, NZ & UK use 15ml tablespoons)
- 1 cup equals 250ml (Nth America use 237ml)
- 4 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon
- I use the below unless specified in my recipes;
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
More Christmas Side Dishes
You will find more delicious recipes in our Christmas sides category. Including my super crunchy Parmentier potatoes, and the unusual but delicious dill pickle pasta salad.
Nic@diningwithastud
I love recipes like that. We have heaps of newspaper cut outs that are family staples. I think our treat dish is probably the trifle. Everything else usually makes an appearance at other times.
Carole
Hi there. The current Food on Friday is all about onions! So it would be great if you linked this in. This is the link . Wishing you very happy Holidays!
Sara
Thanks Carole, I will check it out.
ahu
These are beautiful! I almost thought they were scallops at first. We stuff onions frequently in our cuisine (Persian) but never seen it with cheese. This looks delicious!
Sara
I will have to do a bit of a search for Persian stuffed onions, I imagine they would be lovely.
Christine @ Cooking Crusade
Wow I've never had stuffed onions before! These look divine. I usually whip out a trifle at Chrissy 😀
Sara
My sis-in-law is the trifle queen in our family, she always does one for Chrissy
Nic
This is very similar to a Jamie Oliver recipe. I tried it a couple of times and despite its deliciousness I decided life is too short to stuff an onion!
Sara
There are a family fave, and take no time to make, except the simmering of the actual onions. Then it is spooning the mixture in and banging them in the oven.
Gaby
I don't know why it never crossed my mind to stuff onions but it sounds delicious.
Sara
These guys are well worth making.
Robyn Little
Sounds so delicious - can't beat cheese and onions.
Sara
Definitely a combo I like 🙂
muppy
These look delicious! i've been looking out for christmas deliciousness.....
Sara
Awe thanks Muppy.