Tennessee onions are the cheesy side dish I bring to every holiday dinner

If you're unfamiliar with this staple side dish, then I'd like to introduce you to Tennessee onions. Just thinking about them brings a tear to my eye. Okay, sure, my eyes might be stinging from peeling and slicing this many onions, but I'm also claiming these tears as happy tears, because a simple, versatile dish with this much cheese can only be happy, right? I love a quick-and-easy recipe that puts my 13" x 9" to good use, so I’m filling my favorite bakeware with perfectly seasoned sweet Vidalia onions, loads of freshly shredded cheese, and butter. Whether you need a last-minute side dish for your holiday dinner or are just craving some simple comfort food, these onions will be a surprising new favorite. Here's everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:

"These are amazing! I think I’m going to have to make these as a side to everything now. This was super easy to put together and taste amazing..." - Marisa.somers

How To Make Tennessee Onions

INGREDIENTS

• Onions: The very best onion for this dish is the beloved Vidalia; however, I do know that Vidalia onions aren’t always the easiest to find. If you can’t get your hands on any Vidalia onions, go for another sweet variety, such as Walla Walla, Texas Sweet, or Maui.
• Cheese: I dress my Tennessee onions up with a good dose of sharp cheddar cheese, creamy mozzarella, and nutty Parmesan. But you do you! Any quality, freshly shredded cheese with good melting properties is fair game.
• Seasoned Salt: If you don’t have any seasoned salt on hand, simply increase kosher salt to 1 1/4 tsp. and add 1/4 tsp. each ground paprika and granulated sugar.
• Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper: I prefer to use kosher salt in most recipes (instead of sea salt or table salt) because it has a purer, less acidic taste.
• Seasonings & Herbs: In addition to seasoned salt, kosher salt, and black pepper, I'm packing in the flavor with garlic powder, dry mustard powder, dried parsley and oregano, and a little cayenne to spice things up a bit. This combo of spices offers a well-rounded, savory flavor that perfectly pairs with the sweet onions. And don’t worry, the cayenne doesn’t add enough heat to make this a “spicy” dish.
• Butter: Is adding butter ever a bad idea? Topping the onions with a bit of butter adds great flavor and gives the onions a rich, velvety finish.
• Parsley: A sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley adds some freshness to the dish and, of course, a great pop of color.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by preheating your oven to 350° (and make sure that your oven rack is positioned in the center). This dish comes together pretty quickly, so you’ll want to give your oven as much time as possible to heat up! Grab your favorite 13" x 9" baking dish and lightly spray it with nonstick spray. If you haven’t prepped your ingredients yet, now’s the time to peel and slice your onions. You’ll need about 2 1/2 lb. of sweet onions, which is about 3 large or 4 medium onions. Arrange the onion on its side and slice into 1/4" rings. They don’t have to be perfect (no need to break out a ruler here), but you do want them to slice them as evenly as possible so that they cook at the same time.

Tennessee Onions

Then, in the prepared baking sheet, restack the rings, the largest to the smallest, to mimic the original half-sphere.

Tennessee Onions

Next, throw (okay, place) all the seasonings in a small bowl and stir them so that they’re a homogenous spice mix. I like to combine the seasonings together first rather than sprinkling them individually onto the onions—this way, the onions will get an even coating of all spices. In a separate bowl, combine all of your cheeses in a similar manner.

Tennessee Onions

Now it’s time to season! Sprinkle your seasoning mixture over the onions and dot with butter all over the onion mounds. Add 1/2 c. water to the bottom of the baking sheet, and cover the sheet tightly with foil to trap the moisture while cooking.

Tennessee Onions

Bake the onions on the center oven rack for about 75 minutes, until the centers are soft and easily pierced (yes, it takes a while in the oven to get that melty, caramelized texture). Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven, discard the foil, and generously sprinkle over the cheese mixture before returning the dish to the oven.

Tennessee Onions

Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling at the edges. Be careful not to overcook the onions; otherwise, your cheese might become rubbery. Switch the oven setting to broil and leave the onions in the oven for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until the cheese is browned in a few spots. For a finishing touch, sprinkle a bit of chopped parsley on top. Serve immediately—these are real good fresh from the oven.

Tennessee Onions

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Slice the rings evenly. While there’s no need to break out your ruler, try to keep the onion slices to a 1/4" thick. This will help the onions cook evenly.
• Separate the rings. Speaking of cooking evenly, make sure to separate the rings from one another when placing them in the baking dish. It's the best way for the seasonings and cheeses to penetrate the onions as they bake.
• Be sure not to overcook the onions. It’s time to come out of the oven when the cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges of the pan, usually up to an hour and a half. I don't want the cheese to go beyond its melting point and become rubbery, so I added it during the last 5 minutes or so of baking time.
• Use freshly shredded cheese. Please, pretty please, don't use the pre-shredded cheese from the bag. The creamy, melty goodness from freshly shredded cheese is so worth the extra 5 minutes.
• Have fun with the seasonings. Onions and cheese are a wonderful canvas for all sorts of seasonings. If you like things on the spicy side, try chili powder or Cajun seasoning. Feeling more like adding some herbs? Swap the parsley and oregano with Italian seasoning, which also contains thyme and basil.

What To Serve With Tennessee Onions

The best part about this recipe is its versatility. These are perfectly delicious on their own as a side dish (I’m thinking alongside pot roast, grilled chicken, or pulled pork), or as a flavor-packed topping for burgers, chicken sandwiches, or even to zhush up your grilled cheese (um, yes).

Storage

If (and that’s a big “if”) you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Tennessee Onions

Tennessee Onions

Made This?

Rate and review it in the comments below!

Yields: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Cooking spray

• 2 1/2 lb.

  sweet Vidalia onions (3 large or 4 medium), peeled

• 1 tsp.

  dried parsley

• 1 tsp.

  dry mustard

• 1 tsp.

  garlic powder

• 3/4 tsp.

  seasoned salt

• 1/2 tsp.

  dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp.

  kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp.

  cayenne pepper

• 1/4 tsp.

  freshly ground black pepper

• 1 c.

  shredded mozzarella

• 1 c.

  shredded sharp cheddar

• 1/2 c.

  finely grated Parmesan

• 4 tbsp.

  unsalted butter, cut into cubes

• 1/2 c.

  low-sodium vegetable broth

• Finely chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Directions

1. Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly grease a 13” x 9” baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Arrange an onion on its side on a cutting board. Using vertical slices, cut onion into 1/4"-thick rounds. Separate rounds into individual rings. Restack rings, starting from the largest piece to the smallest (mimicking the original shape of the rounds) in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining onions for a total of 4 stacks.
3. In a small bowl, mix parsley, mustard, garlic powder, seasoned salt, oregano, kosher salt, cayenne, and black pepper. In a medium bowl, toss mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan.
4. Sprinkle onions with seasonings and gently toss to coat. Dot onions with butter. Add broth to bottom of pan and tightly cover with foil.
5. Bake onions until tender, 75 to 90 minutes (the centers should be easily pierced with a fork or a metal cake tester). Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese mixture.
6. Continue to bake until cheese is melted and bubbling around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.
7. Turn on broiler. Broil, watching closely, until cheese is browned in a few spots, 1 to 2 minutes more. Top with parsley.