Caramelized onions are pretty fantastic. They add a perfect combination of sweet and savory flavours to just about anything, like quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, eggs, grilled meat, pasta sauce, hamburgers…whatever you want! They take your food to a whole new level. But they can be tricky and time-consuming to make, because they usually require a lot of time standing over a pot on the stovetop, making sure the onions brown without burning. Luckily, there’s an easier way — let your slow cooker do the work for you!

This is really simple, and doesn’t require many ingredients. I like to add a splash of balsamic vinegar for more flavor.

Add a little butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Put the crockpot on high and let it cook for 6 -7 hours. When it’s done, you have beautiful golden and sweet onions.

If you don’t think you can use all the onions right away, that’s okay, because they freeze really well. I like to divide them into muffin tins and stick them in the freezer. When they’re frozen, I pop them out of the tins and put them in a large freezer bag, so I have little portions I can grab and thaw as needed.

Sadly, my little “Whine Critics” hate caramelized onions, unless they’re hidden really well. I tried topping them on perogies, since I usually serve them with fried onions anyway, so figured it wasn’t that big of a stretch to use caramelized onions.  Apparently it was for Bennett. He usually loves perogies, and he was so upset that I “messed with them” that he completely lost it at the dinner table.

“WHY would you put these things on perogies?? You need to tell me before you put something on my plate that I don’t like!!”

He slid off of his seat and onto the floor, where he remained in a fetal position, sobbing, through the entire meal. I tried taking them off, but I think it was too little, too late. My bad.

Cole also hated the dinner, but he hates perogies, so I already knew he wouldn’t eat it. He just sat in silence, just eating sliced kielbasa without touching the perogies or onions.

Ayla was uncertain about the onions. We had watched “How to Eat Fried Worms” a few days before, and I’m pretty sure she thought I was trying to serve her fried worms.

So I’ve concluded that caramelized onions are more of an adult food — or at least they are in our house.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs thinly sliced onions
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredient in a crock pot. 
2. Cook on high for 6 – 7 hours (or 10 hours on low), until the onions have browned well.

My favourite way to use caramelized onions is in a grilled cheese sandwich. Oh my! If you haven’t tried this before, you really should!

Here are some ways to use your batch of caramelized onions:

• Caramelized Onion, Spinach & Avocado Quesadilla
• Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Bacon
• Mujadara (lentils, rice, and caramelized onions)
• Italian Sausage Pizza with Caramelized Onions, Kale & Jalapenos
• Cheesy Spaetzle with Caramelized Onions
• Crostini with Caramelized Onions, Melted Cheese & Sage
• Pasta with Yogurt and Caramelized Onions
• Pear, Blue Cheese, & Caramelized Onion Panini
• Portobello Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Burger
• Scrambled Eggs & Caramelized Onions

How do you like to enjoy caramelized onions?