Baked Onions Stuffed With Spinach And Sausage

  • 30m Prep Time
  • 45m Cook Time
  • 1h 15mReady In

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  • Cuisine : World
  • Course : Side Dish

Onions are hollowed out, steamed, and filled with a savory mixture of sausage, spinach, and cream, then baked until golden.

Ingredients

Servings:
  • 4 medium yellow, red, white, or sweet onions
  • 1
    • 3 tablespoons New Mexico, guajillo, or ancho chile powder, or a combination
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • (1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder)
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    • 1 poblano pepper
    • 2 to 4 serrano peppers
    • ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
    • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Prepare Country Sausage I or II, substituting the following mixture for the ice/water, salt, herbs, and spices: 3 tablespoons New Mexico, guajillo, or ancho chile powder, or a combination; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 2 teaspoons salt; (1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder); ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon ground allspice; ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    2. GREEN
    3. We are confident that those who try this less-common chorizo will be instant converts.
    4. Roast: 1 poblano pepper; 2 to 4 serrano peppers
    5. Peel and seed the peppers and place on a cutting board along with: ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted; ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro stems
    6. Chop these ingredients together until finely minced. Prepare Red Chorizo, above, substituting this roasted pepper/pumpkin seed mixture for the 3 tablespoons chile powder.
  • 1
    • 12 cups tightly packed trimmed spinach, chard, baby kale, young mustard greens, or a combination (about 1 pound)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • Dash of lemon juice, vinegar, or hot sauce
    • Black pepper to taste
    • Crumbled crisp bacon
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Wash thoroughly but do not dry: 12 cups tightly packed trimmed spinach, chard, baby kale, young mustard greens, or a combination (about 1 pound)
    2. Coarsely chop, then place in a large skillet. Season with: ¼ teaspoon salt
    3. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until completely wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and toss with: Extra-virgin olive oil, melted butter, or Brown Butter; Dash of lemon juice, vinegar, or hot sauce; Black pepper to taste
    4. Or top with any of the following: Garlic and Walnut Sauce or Hollandaise; Sliced Hard-Boiled Egg; Crumbled crisp bacon; Browned Bread Crumbs
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs, or enough to make the stuffing hold its shape
  • (⅛ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 4 medium yellow, red, white, or sweet onions
  • 1 4 ounces bulk pork sausage, Fresh Chorizo Sausage or Italian Sausage
  • 1 One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed, or 1½ pounds fresh spinach, wilted
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs, or enough to make the stuffing hold its shape
  • (⅛ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Cut off the top quarter from: 4 medium yellow, red, white, or sweet onions

  2. Step 2.

    Trim off any roots, but leave the root end intact. Peel off the skin. Use a sharp paring knife to carefully cut out a cone-shaped section from the center of each onion and use a spoon to dig out all but ¼ to ½ inch of the onion. There should be 2 to 3 layers of onion left. Reserve the onion bits and coarsely chop half of them. Reserve the remaining onion for another use or save in a stock bag. Set the onions in a steamer basket above a few inches of water. Steam until the onions are tender enough to be pierced by a skewer but still feel slightly resistant, about 15 minutes. Remove the onions and let stand until cool enough to handle.

  3. Step 3.

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the onions and arrange the onions in the dish.

  4. Step 4.

    Crumble into a medium skillet and brown well over medium heat: 4 ounces bulk pork sausage, Fresh Chorizo Sausage or Italian Sausage

  5. Step 5.

    Without draining off the fat, add the chopped onion bits and cook, stirring, until golden and very soft, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze dry and finely chop: One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed, or 1½ pounds fresh spinach, wilted

  6. Step 6.

    Add the spinach to the sausage mixture, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in: ⅔ cup heavy cream

  7. Step 7.

    Cook for about 1 minute more; the mixture should be quite thick. Remove from the heat. Stir in: ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs, or enough to make the stuffing hold its shape; (⅛ teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg); Salt and black pepper to taste

  8. Step 8.

    Pile the sausage stuffing into the onions. Sprinkle with: 2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs; 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

  9. Step 9.

    Bake until lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

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