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A plate of baked fish with lemon slices and onions is being lifted by a fork, with plates, a salt jar, and a bowl in the background.

Tennessee Onions

Chef Jenn
Tennessee Onions are soft, cheesy, and baked until perfectly tender. Made with sweet onions, butter, and two kinds of cheese, this easy Southern side dish is pure comfort food.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Southern
Servings 6 servings
Calories 275 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • cooking spray
  • 2 ½ pounds sweet onions sliced into ¼-inch rings
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup salted butter cut into pieces
  • 4 ounces white Cheddar cheese shredded
  • 4 ounces smoked Gouda cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. A ceramic or glass baking dish works best here because it holds heat evenly.
  • Slice the onions crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rings. Separate the rings gently with your hands so they cook evenly and don’t clump together.
  • Add the onion rings to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in the thyme, parsley, garlic salt, oregano, dry mustard, and cayenne pepper. Toss everything together using clean hands or a large silicone mixing spoon until the onions are evenly coated with seasoning.
  • Transfer the seasoned onions to the prepared baking dish and spread them into an even layer. They will look full at first, but they cook down significantly.
  • Dot the onions with the pieces of butter, spacing them evenly across the dish so the butter melts into every layer.
  • Sprinkle the shredded Cheddar and smoked Gouda evenly over the top. Using freshly shredded cheese helps it melt more smoothly than pre-shredded.
  • Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until the onions are soft and bubbling around the edges.
  • Remove the foil and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, golden, and lightly browned on top.
  • Let the onions rest for about 5 minutes before serving so they set slightly and scoop cleanly.

Video

Notes

Chef Jenn’s Recipe Notes

  • Don’t slice the onions too thin; you want them to hold together and not turn into mush.
  • Sweet onions are key. I’ve tested this recipe with both Spanish onions and Vidalia onions, and they’re both delish.
  • Shred your own cheese for the best melting and texture. I use my rotary grater All.The.Time. It powers through cheese blocks easily and saves my hand from all that manual grating.
  • If the top browns too quickly, tent the dish loosely with foil for the last few minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 275kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 11gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 742mgPotassium: 271mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 578IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 313mgIron: 1mg

A Note on Nutritional Information

Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.

Keyword onion, Southern side dish perfect, Tennessee Onions
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