Creamed Onions

Creamed onions make for a savory, creamy and slightly sweet side or condiment. Smear them on crusty bread for a beef sandwich or, ladle them over the top of roasted red potatoes for extra flavor.

Before you get started on this dish, just note that the onions in this recipe are only meant to be slightly caramelized. This helps maintain its creamy white color and ensures the flavor from the onions is balanced alongside the milk and butter.

Ingredients for Creamed Onions

• Onion: Choose a variety of onion that isn’t sweet, like yellow or white.
• Butter: This creamed onions recipe calls for a hefty dose of butter so choose a high quality one. To this end, grass-fed or even fresh, homemade butter are delicious options.
• All-purpose flour: Just a touch of all-purpose flour is all that’s needed to help bind the ingredients in this recipe.
• White pepper: Unlike black pepper, white pepper has a more subtle flavor so it blends right in with the other flavors in this dish.
• Milk: Because onions are water-rich, we recommend using whole milk to help thicken things up.

Directions

Step 1: Caramelize the onions

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In a large skillet or Dutch oven, saute the onions in butter until tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Step 2: Add flour and milk

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Toss in the flour, salt and pepper into the skillet and stir. Next, gradually stir in the milk until blended.

Step 3: Combine the ingredients

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Bring the milk, flour and seasoning to a boil. Stirring continuously, cook for 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Reduce the heat to medium and return the onions to the pan. Heat through and serve.

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Recipe Variations

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• Layer in more flavors: While these creamed onions are simple and delicious, you can add more flavor. For example, garlic, parmesan or other types of cheese all taste wonderful in this dish.
• Make it vegan: Instead of butter and milk, feel free to use margarine and a milk alternative like cashew or macadamia. You can also add fixings like panko bread crumbs and fried onions to give more “oomph” while keeping it vegan.

How to Store Creamed Onions

To store this recipe, first allow the creamed onions to come to room temperature. Then, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, place the leftovers in a skillet over medium heat and stir periodically until warmed through.

Can I freeze creamed onions?

To freeze this dish, allow it to come to room temperature, place it in an airtight container, and pop it in the freezer. Stored like this, creamed onions can keep for up to four months. When ready to enjoy, transfer the container to the fridge and thaw overnight.

Creamed Onions Tips

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Where did creamed onions come from?

Both this recipe and another, similar creamed pearl onions recipe hail from England and Europe, in general. The recipe likely traveled with immigrants as they came to American shores.

How long does it actually take to caramelize onions?

While the onions in this dish are cooked for about 25 minutes, it takes at least 45 minutes to fully caramelize onions. If you want to take the extra time to do this, make sure you place them on medium-low heat so the onions don’t burn in the process. Caramelizing the onions will alter the color of the dish as well.

What can I do with too many onions?

There are plenty of onion recipes you can make to use up your extra onions. Apart from this recipe and classics like French onion soup, this list contains other ideas that may be new to you.