An Edible Mosaic™

Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

Creamed Onions

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One of the perks of food blogging is all the creative and thoughtful gifts that people bestow once they find out about your blog. I’ve received wonderful things like fresh, home-grown produce, exotic spices, and unique baked goods (you wouldn’t believe how tasty potato chip cookies are!). Despite all these treats, I think my favorite gifts are heirloom recipes. This particular recipe is a holiday tradition that comes from my grandfather on my mom’s side.

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My mom told me this dish is one of my grandfather’s absolute favorites and nary a holiday feast goes by that he doesn’t make creamed onions to accompany. According to my grandfather, this is a traditional American farmer dish typically made to go with holiday meals. Sweet onions were always used because this recipe was a good way to use up a lot of them at once, since their shelf life is shorter than regular cooking onions.

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Creamed Onions
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: About 6½ cups, or about 13 (1/2 cup) first course or side dish-sized servings
 
Ingredients
  • 3 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia), peeled and sliced into ¼ to ½-inch strips
  • 8 tablespoons (115 g) salted butter
  • 1 pint (2 cups/475 ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Instructions
  1. Add the onions to a lidded 3-quart pot and barely cover them with water.
  2. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down, cover the pot, and simmer until the onions are soft and translucent but not mushy, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  3. Drain the onions and put them back into the pot.
  4. Add the butter, cream, sugar, and salt and cook over low heat until warm throughout.
  5. Serve in small soup bowls as a first course.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ½ cup

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Be sure not to overcook the onions; they’re ready to drain when they’re soft and translucent but not mushy, as pictured in the photo above.

I’m wishing a very Merry Christmas to all! May you and yours have a very happy and safe holiday!

Update (March 13, 2013): I made this dish again and snapped a few pictures, so I decided to update the photos in this post. As a point of comparison to show how much my photography has evolved, I kept one of my original photos (below).

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Comments

  2. Faith, I agree – the heirloom recipes are greatness, and this looks to be no exception; I’d never thought of creamed onions before, but they sound and look fantastic.

    Reply

  5. As a child, I feared getting onions in my Christmas stocking…and now I would actually welcome them. LOL
    A very interesting heirloom delicacy.

    Faith…I wish you the merriest of Holidays with your family and friends ;o)

    All the best and flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

    Reply

  10. What a beautiful looking dish. I have never heard of creamed onions before, but I would love to try them! And I agree with you about the gifts thing… a friend gave me two brand new cookbooks for my birthday this year and that was definitely one of my favorite birthday presents! I too struggle with the lighting in my house as far as pictures… any time of the year. It’s frustrating! Your pictures still look wonderful.

    Reply

  17. I’ve never had creamed onions but I love onions so can imagine that it is really delicous and satisfying! Thanks for always providing such unique, fabulous recipes!

    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    Reply

  20. Merry Christmas, Faith!! Thanks for sharing this family recipe. I love seeing the traditions that different people have for the holidays, they are always so fun and unique :)

    Reply

  22. Faith, thank you for showing off my dad’s recipe! I can’t imagine anyone making it and not loving it. Love, Mom

    Reply

  26. Isn’t it amazing how sometimes the simplest of ideas are incredible… like this one as a first course… and a little herb on top, like a fresh sprig of thyme would be pretty on it, too – but your photos are gorgeous. I agree with you about the importance of traditional family recipes, Faith. As a school teacher, some of the students would proudly arrive with a beautifully wrapped gift for the teacher… and some would look very sad when they came into the room empty handed. So, I have had a tradition most of my teaching career that they all HAVE to give me a gift, and that is the one family recipe that is their favourite, or the one that everyone always raves about, or the one their family is “famous” for. I have had such lovely recipes with such incredible stories gifted to me through the years. Some have become part of our own family traditions!!!
    Now, enjoy your break… and have a wonderful, splendorous holiday!
    )
    Valerei

    Reply

  28. Faith, that’s so funny about what you said at the beginning of your post. I’ve also noticed that ever since my friends and family found out I have a food blog, they bring over prettier, more unique looking dishes. Lol.

    Your grandfather’s recipe sounds wonderful. I love how little ingredients it requires and how easy it is. Definitely a great way to use up your onions. Thanks for sharing. I hope you and Mike have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    Reply

  29. I too love these old heirloom recipes!! I’ve never heard of creamed onions but I’d say it sounds like a winner. I hear you on the pictures–it’s so hard to get good ones during the winter, esp when you work until after dark.

    Reply

  32. Your pictures are still look wonderful. I’m struggling with the lack of light as well. This sounds interesting and delicious all in one! I think I’ll be trying this one.

    Have a wonderful Christmas holiday!

    Reply

  35. Creamed onions always grace our holiday table but are made with pearl onions. I love yours made with Vidalia onions. Thank you for sharing your heirloom recipe! Merry Christmas Faith!

    Reply

  36. I love creamed onions and love to serve them at least once during the holiday season. Yours really do look scrumptious. I hope you have a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary

    Reply

  38. That is so incredibly creamy that at first I thought it was a HUGE bowl of butter! Much better that it’s a creamy delicious bowl of creamed onions. heirloom/passed down recipes are the best. They stood the test of time for a good reason after all!

    Reply

  39. Oh Faith , i so agree , nothing like a fantastic recipe and this is a delicious example!
    Loveee the onion soup and honestly i wouldn wanna drain them , not wanting to loose on any goodness ,must try this lovely warm soup and babe happy hols with love!
    Merry Christmas!!

    Reply

  40. Faith,

    What a fabulous onion dish. I love onions and this would really hit the spot. Gorgeous.

    Have a fantastic holiday season

    Be well

    Reply

  41. Faith, thanks for sharing this interesting recipe. I think it’s wonderful that you are making a recipe that was passed down from your grandfather. Have a very merry Christmas and all the best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

    Reply

  44. My mother serves creamed spinach at nearly every holiday meal, as it was my grandmother’s favorite. I guess our grandparents were on the same page!

    Reply

  46. I don’t tell my friends about my blog – they dont cook – but it must be lovely to receive blog-related gifts.
    The creamed onions sound good – and look very nice and creamy and pale – and I hope you have a lovely holiday.

    Reply

  49. I adore heirloom recipes too. They always infuse my baking and cooking with love. These creamed onions look and sound delicious. I wish you the Merriest Christmas. Thank you for always infusing my days with such great eats, sweet words and thoughtful comments….I’m thankful for you!

    Reply

  50. This is a wonderful recipe Faith, one which I have never tried but would love to taste! So special knowing its origin too! (I would also like to keep that onion water)
    Happy Holidays to you and your lovely family.

    Reply

  55. This is really unique. I have never seen this dish. It does sound delicious. I agree; those recipes passed down are the best, even more special that it is your grandfather’s favorite:)

    I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

    Reply

  57. I was guessing this was a side dish. But a first course? How interesting! I bet it’s just perfect on a cool winter evening, too. Nothing like a bowl of creamy goodness to warm you up from the inside out. Happy holidays! ;)

    Reply

  58. I make something like this, but with parmesan added and we serve it with steak…yummy goodness! I’ll have to try this!

    Reply

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I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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