Active Time
40 minutes
Total Time
1 1/2 hours
Despite its English roots, this dish has become a cherished American favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in New York and beyond. But why save it for special occasions? Creamed onions are so delicious that you'll want to eat them year-round.
Ingredients
Makes 6 side-dish servings
Preparation
Step 1
Blanch onions in a 3-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a colander and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain and peel onions.
Step 2
Put onions and 1 teaspoon salt in same pot and add fresh water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until onions are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well in colander and transfer to a buttered 2-quart baking dish.
Step 3
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 4
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cream in a stream, whisking, and bring to a simmer, whisking. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pour sauce over onions.
Step 5
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6
Sprinkle toasted crumbs evenly over onions and bake until sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Creamed onions can be assembled (without bread crumbs) 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before adding bread crumbs and baking.
Leave a Review
Reviews (32)
Back to TopI had to go to "Google" to find this recipe! Please, Epicurious, stop trying to get me to read content that is not the item I'm searching for! Epicurious once was my "go to" website for recipes, but no more. Today, when I entered "creamed onion recipe" in the Epicurious search box, the first three results were, in order shown: A Vegan Comfort Food Meal; How to Cook Butternut Squash and Win at Fall; 11 Ways to make Kale Stems Delicious Too. Why aren't you giving people what they ask for? I was served a delicious baked cream onion recipe with crumb topping that I was told came from your website, and I think this is the recipe. They were the best creamed onions I'd ever had.
Anonymous
MA
12/28/2021
Delicious! I made two small changes: I omitted the breadcrumbs and I added to tablespoons of white wine to the cream sauce. So good!
Anonymous
USA
12/28/2018
I used Whole Foods organic frozen onions and they were super tender and saved me from the whole peeling mess. Delicious concoction, very easy to make. Don't forget to add salt to the sauce.
asilcooks
11/21/2018
I added a bit of Worcestershire and a touch of dijon mustard to the sauce. Absolutely delicious with beef. These additions also help brighten the sauce for those who find it too bland or creamy.
tigo
Seattle, WA
9/6/2013
This is a "go-to" recipe at my house on Thanksgiving. Always a hit with the guests. My 4-fork rating is based on following the recipe exactly... but a cheat that's almost as good is using a jar of pearl onions, drained.
markinmaine
5/6/2013
2 forks- good but wouldn't make again. I've never made creamed onions before- but decided to make this because I had so many white onions (that were quite small) from the garden this year. A lot of work to peal all the onions- I wouldn't ever to buy and do from scratch. Flavor was good except the 1.5 cups of bread crumbs was too much- I used exact amts and size pan, but the crumbs made too thick of a coating, wasn't just a nice crunchy top.
Anonymous
1/13/2013
Yum. Just made them for the first time. I followed amylousgar suggestion of cartelizing the onions first. Wow was that a great suggestion! I also used frozen pearl onions to save time. Will make again for Christmas!
RobynB
Williamsburg, VA
12/23/2012
As a time saver, I used frozen onions that I picked up at Trader Joe's that really sped up the process. One tip, thaw the onions first - otherwise it takes twice as long to cook. Otherwise, this dish was a success and would definitely recommend for all those Creamed Onions fans!
tbourgeois1
Portsmouth NH
11/22/2012
These onions were the hit of my Thanksgiving table this year. The only adjustment I made to the receipe was to caremelize the onions in some butter instead of boiling them...it made all the difference in the world. My husband is already asking for me to make them again!
amylousgar
11/29/2011
Found this to be a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving menu. Everyone loved it rather than the previous "yuk, creamed onions".
judyr4
Foxborough, MA
12/1/2010
I added this recipe to my Thanksgiving menu for the first time this year, hoping to replicate a wonderful dish I remembered from a dinner 20+ years ago. It's certainly earned a permanent place on the T-Day table. It is scrumptious, and aside from the chore of peeling the hot onions (totally worth it), very easy to put together. Everybody loved it. I used half-and-half and the dish was plenty rich, and the sauce was very thick. I think heavy cream would be overkill.
Anonymous
Maryland
11/28/2010
This has been a family favorite at Thanksgiving... I also use frozen pearl onions (Birds Eye) and they come out perfect.
laltvater
Londonderry, NH
11/25/2010
This was awful.
zhudi
San Diego
11/24/2010
this recipe was amazing! I made them for a mini pre-Thanksgiving for my boyfriend and I, and they were so good I will be making them for the rest of my family for the holiday this year! I hope she will not see this, but my boyfriend said this recipe was hands-down better than his aunt's famous creamed onions, which he never thought was possible. definitely worth the homemade bread crumbs, and blanching first makes them so much easier to peel! best recipe I have found!
prrpleskies
Tewksbury, MA
11/23/2010
I make these every year for Easter, and they are always a hit, and a request. I use frozen onions rather than peeling them, and nobody knows the better. Delish!
buzzbee12
lowell, ma
4/3/2010
