Mom's Traditional Creamed Onions Recipe with Sage - Restless Chipotle (2024)

Fresh pearl onions are a major pain to work with, so we're swapping 'em for something better!

🗝️ Key takeaways

• Done in under a half hour so there's no special-occasion prep stress!
• The delicious side dish is perfect for classic fall main dishes. Think roast chicken or pork chops. It goes great with anything on your holiday table, too.
• Be sure to read the tips section for my best tip on taking the stems off of fresh herbs quickly.

Creamed onions have a rich, savory flavor, making them a staple for any holiday meal. The buttery cream sauce has hints of fresh herbs and warm nutmeg.

Your Thanksgiving menu just won't be complete without it!

🧾 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖Variations

• I prefer white onions because they're cheap and easily found at any grocery store. However, you can use yellow onions, sweet onions, or the more traditional pearl onions.
• Add some crispy bacon on top when serving—or, better yet, fry the onions in bacon grease for a rich, smoky flavor.
• Some people like to add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to the simmering heavy cream to give the onions a little heat.
• White pepper is milder than black, so you may prefer using it for this recipe. Plus it doesn't put black specks in your dish!
• Feel free to garnish with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• If you'd like to make these with whole milk then use this classic white sauce recipe.

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Melt butter in a large skillet and add the onions. Cook until softened.
2. Add the seasonings...
3. ...and the heavy cream. Simmer over low until thickened.
4. Taste, season again, and serve.

🥫 How to store leftovers

Let the leftovers cool to room temperature.

Spoon them into an airtight container, or cover with plastic wrap, and store promptly.

I know it's tempting to sit back and relax after cooking, but you'll thank yourself later when you get to enjoy your delicious leftovers!

Always refrigerate them if they've been at room temperature for 2 hours. Longer than that?

Throw them away. It's not worth the emergency room visit.

In the fridge, creamed onions will keep for about four days. You can freeze leftovers for up to two months.

If frozen, let the creamed onions thaw in the fridge for about a day. Then, rewarm them on the stove over moderately low heat, or use the microwave to reheat individual portions.

💭 Things to know

Expert Tip: Keep the heat low to prevent the onions from caramelizing. We want them to cook and soften, but not brown or burn.

• Avoid using onions with soft or dark spots. This is an indicator they're about to go bad, and since the onion is the star, we want the best!
• Cut the onion into thicker slices for a more enjoyable bite. They'll cook down in the butter, and if the slices are too thin, they'll get mushy.
• The creamy sauce will thicken the longer it simmers. However, it'll also thicken more as it cools, so don't be too worried if it's a little loose.
• Easily separate thyme by pushing the stem end into a mesh strainer. Pull it through from the other side, and you'll be left with fragrant thyme leaves!

👩‍🍳 FAQs

• Steakhouse Creamed Spinach takes just twenty minutes to make and has a deliciously creamy flavor—Pepper Jack cheese is the secret!
• This creamy Homemade Onion Dip has a rich, caramelized flavor you'll crave. It's great for game night, Superbowl, and as a holiday appetizer!
• Use up the rest of your onions to make Copycat French's Fried Onions—snack on them plain or toss them on your green bean casserole.
• Check out this round-up of my favorite Southern Thanskgiving side dishes!

🍽️ Serve with...

• Of course this onion dish is great with turkey but it's also delicious with roast chicken!
• Bourbon Sweet Potatoes are a Thanksgiving classic with a Southern twist. We can't get enough of the pecan praline crunch!
• I also like these crispy maple roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberries!
• German Apple Pie—it wouldn't be the holidays without a classic like this.

📞 The last word

You'll want to try this creamed peas and potatoes recipe, too! Gotta love these old family recipes for a bite of comfort food goodness!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

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