Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (2024)

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Want to know what was ‘pon Rocky Top? Tennessee Onions! That’s what, the premier Vidalia Onion Recipe! You want an exceptional andEASYsavory dish, right? Yeah, I thought so! This Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe – Easy is the right recipe for you, delicious cheesy onions!

Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (1)

This delightful Vidalia Onion Recipes is made with sweet vidalia onions resulting in a vidalia onion casserole!

Basically, I’ve been eating this vidalia onion casserole for 30 years now, and I don’t forsee a time when I’ll stop. You should try it!

Sweet onions cut into onion rings, sprinkled with garlic powder and covered with cheddar cheese then baked in a prepared baking dish.

What could be easier? You’ll love it, I promise!

Why This Baked Vidalia Onion Recipe Works!

Contents show

  • It has simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen like sweet vidalia onions, butter and garlic.
  • This has been rated as one of the BEST vidalia onion recipes out there!
  • What can go wrong with melted mozzarella cheeses, garlic and a sweet vidalia onion?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What to Cook for Vegetarians

This vidalia onion recipes is a perfect recipe for your vegetarian friends.

What Are Tennessee Onions

Good question! Sweet Onions like Tennessee Onions are baked Vidalia (or other sweet onions) Onions with butter, cheese, garlic and various herbs.

This dish of Tennessee Onions is a creation using sweet vidalia onions from the recipe of a great grandmother of a good friend of mine.

I have no idea why she called this vidalia onion casserole Tennessee Onions. You’ll catch some great flavors of the south and it’s the best dish for the most ardent onion fan, like me!

Vidalia onions are the mighty onion that come from Georgia, not Tennessee! Who knows – let’s just roll with it – OK?

Is a Vidalia Onion and Sweet Onion

Yes, vidalia onions are sweet onions. If you can’t find Vidalias try substituting Cipollini onions, Texas Sweet or other sweet onions.

Where are Vidalia Onions Grown

According to my research, REAL vidalia onions are grown in Georgia!

How Do I Store Vidalia Onions

Store Vidalia onions (and all onions) in a cool dry dark place. If you happen to have an old pair of panty hose, you can drop a Vidalia down into the foot, tie a knot, drop another in and so on.

Just cut the bottom one off as you need an onion! This works GREAT!

When are Vidalia Onions in Season

Vidalia Onions are in season in the summer time. You will be able to find other types of sweet onions all year long.

Tips and Tricks for Perfect Tennessee Onions Recipe

  • Serve Tennessee Onions over hamburgers, as teh backbone of soups, over steak, as a side dish at your cookout or even as a “burger option” for your vegetarian friends.
  • Cut the sweet onions in even thicknesses and separate out the rings
  • Cut the sweet onions about 1/2 inch thick slices
  • Use Vidalia Onions when available. Texas Sweets will do as well. Any sweet onion will do in a pinch but Vidalias are the best.
  • These Tennessee Onions do not make a custard pie like filling, they simply make baked onions with a cheesy topping – YUM!
  • Use the best quality cheese that you can afford for this – it makes a difference.
  • Check to see if it needs salt before adding any, cheese and garlic salt are both salty already
  • Be sure to prepare your dish with non-stick cooking spray, it helps with prep time and clean up.
  • Just bake until the onions are soft – this might be 35-40 minutes, but if your slices are thinner, it will be done sooner.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Sprinkle with your choice of fresh herbs

Serving Suggestions

So, you are probably wondering how to serve this fabulous Tennessee Onion Bake. Vidalia onions in this baked Tennessee Onions dish are TERRIFICwithHangry Hamburgers,Potato Saladand agreen caprese saladwith a dessert ofBanana Pudding

Here’s How You Do It

STEP 1. First cut the onions into 1/2 inch rounds and layer in the baking dish.

STEP 2. Place pats of butter, shredded cheese and herbs on top of the onions.

Part 3. Bake in the oven!

STEP 4. Enjoy!!!

Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (2)
Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (3)
Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (4)
Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (5)

Watch Sarah Make Tennessee Onions

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Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (6)

Tennessee Onions

Baked Vidalia Onions with Cheese, Butter and Herbs

5 from 30 votes

Print PinSave Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Tennessee Onions, Vidalia onion recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 150kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

Ingredients

  • 2-3 whole Vidalia onions or any sweet onion will do
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp Garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp Pepper
  • 1 Cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese the better quality, the better taste
  • 1 Cup shredded mozzarella Cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh oregano or other herbs for garnish

Instructions

  • Using non-stick cooking spray, prepare a 9×9 (or 9×13) baking dish.

  • Heat oven to 350

  • Slice the Vidalia onions in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and separate the rings.

  • Lay the rings in the prepared baking dish

  • Sprinkle the onion rings with garlic salt (about 1 tsp), pepper (about 1/2 tsp).

  • Cut the butter into pats and place around the dish on top of the onions.

  • Spread the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses on top of the onions and then top with the grated parmesan cheese.

  • Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese has started to brown (browned cheese bits is one of the best parts!)

  • Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, garnish with some fresh herbs (oregano, chives, thyme all work well) and then serve.

Notes

  • Serve Tennessee Onions over hamburgers, over steak, as a side dish at your cookout or even as a “burger option” for your vegetarian friends.
  • Cut the sweet onions in even thicknesses and separate out the rings
  • Cut the sweet onions about 1/2 inch thick
  • Use Vidalia Onions when available. Texas Sweets will do as well. Any sweet onion will do in a pinch but Vidalias are the best.
  • These Tennessee Onions do not make a custard pie like filling, they simply make baked onions with a cheesy topping – YUM!
  • Use the best quality cheese that you can afford for this – it makes a difference.
  • Check to see if it needs salt before adding any, cheese and garlic salt are both salty already

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Tennessee Onions

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Cholesterol 30mg10%

Sodium 282mg12%

Potassium 128mg4%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 285IU6%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 263mg26%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

The folks in the Bible eating Manna for all those days reminds me how thankful I am for things like Tennessee Onions, cheesy, tangy, flavorful. Thank God for manna and thank good for onions!

John 6:31

Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

***THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED BY WENDI WITH NEW INFORMATION***

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Wendi Spraker

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Southern Tennessee Onions Casserole Recipe - Easy (2024)

FAQs

What makes a good casserole? ›

  1. Choose the right baking dish. If you're all about the crunchy topping, use a shallow dish. ...
  2. Undercook your pasta. ...
  3. Drain your meat. ...
  4. Beware of mushy vegetables. ...
  5. Know your cheeses. ...
  6. Master the art of casserole assembly. ...
  7. Don't skip the topping. ...
  8. Make it now, but bake it later.
Nov 1, 2021

What type of onions are Vidalia onions? ›

What Is a Vidalia Onion? A Vidalia onion is a hybrid Granex yellow onion lauded for its sweet, mild flavor. Page adds, "Vidalia onions can only be grown in the state of Georgia outlined in a 20-county area." She also notes that Vidalia onions are the official state vegetable of Georgia.

Which is an onion based dish? ›

  • Onion dishes.
  • A blooming onion with dipping sauce.
  • Cong you bing.
  • Fried onions in Iran.
  • Liver and onions.
  • Onion fritters (Peyaji) are a Bengali dish made with onions.
  • Roasted onion gravy.

What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

What are 5 components of a casserole? ›

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

What happens when you eat 2 slices of onions daily? ›

All onions are anti-inflammatory and are natural blood thinners. A slice every few days should be protective for most people. This can be part of your stroke and heart attack prevention plan. However, if you have an existing problem, you must get that diagnosed and treated (with a stent) immediately.

What does eating 2 onions a day do? ›

Onions are high in vitamin C, which may help regulate your immune health, collagen production, and iron absorption. It's also a powerful antioxidant that could help protect your cells from unstable, damaging molecules called free radicals. Onions are rich in B vitamins, including folate and vitamin B6.

What happens to your body when you eat a lot of onions? ›

Eating onions, especially raw onions, can have a few side effects, including: Gas and bloating. The same substances in onions that feed the healthy bacteria in your gut can be hard for some people to tolerate. Onions are among foods that sometimes cause trouble for people with irritable bowel syndrome.

What onion is sweeter than a Vidalia? ›

Some of the world's sweetest onions (like Pittman & Davis's Sweet Georgia Onions) are grown in Georgia. Their sweetness is due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which they're grown.

What is the only state where Vidalia onions are grown? ›

1. Vidalia onions can only be grown in Georgia. According to the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986, there are only 20 counties in the United States that are allowed to grow Vidalia onions and sell them under the trademarked name. All of them are in Georgia, centered around the small town of Vidalia, GA.

Which onion is sweeter Vidalia or Walla Walla? ›

However the flavor profiles of these two are reversed. Whereas Vidalias start on a strong and end on a sweet note in your mouth, Walla Wallas are the opposite. And their harvest periods overlap. So it isn't unusual for consumers to start buying Vidalias in early summer and switch to Walla Wallas by late summer.

What onion does McDonald's use? ›

It's worth noting that, in most cases, McDonald's uses rehydrated onions on its burgers. The exception to the rule is that it will use freshly sliced onions for its Quarter Pounders. Dehydrated onions come to McDonald's locations in a package.

What cultures don't use onions? ›

Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers, as they are considered ananthkay. Ananthkay means one body, but containing infinite lives.

What are onions in a jar called? ›

Pickled onions are a food item consisting of onions (cultivars of Allium cepa) pickled in a solution of vinegar and salt, often with other preservatives and flavourings. There is a variety of small white pickled onions known as 'silverskin' onions; due to imperfections they are pickled instead of being wasted.

What are the 4 parts of a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

What dictates a casserole? ›

They're often defined by the vessel they're baked and served in, which is called a casserole dish. The ingredients in a casserole can be layered or simply mixed together. And although oven-baked pasta dishes like lasagna and baked ziti are technically casseroles they're not known as such; those are called baked pastas.

What are three guidelines to follow when preparing casseroles? ›

Top tips for casseroles
  1. Cut your ingredients, such as meat, potatoes and parsnips, into similar-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly. ...
  2. To save time – and washing up – use a flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish. ...
  3. Avoid adding flour after cooking or the raw flour taste will remain.

What to look for when buying a casserole dish? ›

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Casserole Dish

Look for a dish that has wide, looped handles, and that is made of stoneware or ceramic for heat retention. We also preferred dishes with softer, rounded interior corners since they were often easier to clean.

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