Serve these bacon-and-cheese-stuffed onions as a side dish for roasts, or as an unexpected main course for dinner, supplemented by a green salad. Don’t rush the cooking of the chopped onions; keep them on the heat until caramelized, for the best flavor.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　4 large yellow onions, peeled and hollowed (see below), insides chopped and reserved

　　1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

　　4 slices bacon (4 ounces), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces

　　2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces

　　1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese (4 ounces), plus more for sprinkling

　　2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange onions in an 8-inch baking dish, hollowed side up. Pour chicken broth into dish, around onions. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Bake onions until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Remove onions from baking dish. Pour off hot liquid from dish, then return onions.

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chopped onions; cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; add bread, cheese, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine.

　　

Step 3

Fill hollowed onions with bread mixture, pressing with back of spoon to pack tightly. Sprinkle with more cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

　　

Hollowing Onions

Step 4

Cut off the top quarter from each onion, and core with a melon baller, leaving 1/4 inch (1 to 2 layers) of onion intact on the sides and bottom. Reserve insides to chop for the stuffing.

　　Everyday Food: Fresh Flavor Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2010 by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Martha Stewart Living magazine was first published in 1990. Over the years, more than two dozen books have been published by the magazine’s editors.Martha Stewart is the author of dozens of best-selling books on cooking, entertaining, gardening, weddings, and decorating. She is the host of The Martha Stewart Show, the successful daily syndicated television show.