Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onions
Vidalia Onion Cornbread with Caramelized Onion Fans sounds fancy but it's actually a shortcut recipe that starts with your favorite cornbread mix. Thin slices of sweet onions are arranged on the bottom of the cast iron skillet and when the cornbread is turned out, the Vidalia onion slices have caramelized and make an impressive design on top!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 200kcal
Cost: 4
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter, plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for greasing skillet
- 1 small to medium Vidalia onion (or other sweet onion)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups milk whole or 2%
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 2 cups white or yellow self-rising cornmeal Mix
Instructions
- Brush 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on the bottom and sides of an 8- or 9-inch cast iron skillet and place in a cold oven. (Oil is better here. Butter can be used in the batter)Set the oven to 425 degrees with the skillet in the oven. Set a timer for 8 minutes. This should be enough time to preheat it plus a few minutes. It should take about 8 minutes to prepare onions and batter.
- Meanwhile, remove papery outside skin from onion. Do not cut off the bottom of the onion yet. Slice the onion in half vertically. On one of the halves, slicing from top to bottom, cut 6 or 7 thin slices (about 1/4-inch thick). Cut off the bottom of the remaining onion half and chop it (about 3/4 cup).
- Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl with a fork. Add milk, butter, and vegetable oil and stir with a fork. Add cornmeal mix and 3/4 cup chopped onion. Stir just until all ingredients are combined. (Or prepare just the batter according to your own package directions). Let stand about 3 minutes to thicken slightly. This will help prevent the onions from sliding when you add the batter.When the timer goes off, remove the hot skillet from the oven and place on the stovetop. Quickly arrange the onion slices on the bottom of the skillet around the outside edges of the pan.
- With a large spoon, dollop batter over the onion slices and spread it to the edges of the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool on the stovetop for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cutting board or wire rack.
Notes
Pouring the batter tends to make the onion slices move around. Spooning dollops of batter first, then spreading it helps keep the onion fans in place.
Additional Shortcut: The shortcut for this recipe is using cornmeal mix. You can also use 3/4 cup frozen, chopped and thawed onion and omit the onion slices on the bottom.
Any yellow or white cornmeal mix will work for this recipe using 2 cups of the mix and the directions on the back of the bag.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal