Tennessee Onions – The Cheesy Baked Side Recipe
Tennessee Onions is a delectable cheesy baked side dish featuring thickly sliced sweet onions layered with a blend of mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheeses, seasoned with Italian herbs, butter, salt, and pepper. Baked until golden and bubbly, this comforting dish offers a flavorful alternative to traditional onion rings, perfect to complement any meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American Southern
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Onions
- 3 large sweet onions (Vidalia or yellow), sliced ½ inch thick
Seasonings & Butter
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pats
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cheeses
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly butter a medium baking dish to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- Arrange onion slices: Place the onion slices in a single layer inside the prepared baking dish, ensuring they lie flat and evenly distributed.
- Season and butter: Sprinkle the onions evenly with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning for a balanced and aromatic taste. Dot the top with small pats of butter to add richness as it melts during baking.
- Add cheese layers: Evenly sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the onions, then layer provolone slices on top. Finally, finish by sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese to create a flavorful and melty cheese topping.
- Bake: Place the dish uncovered in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes or until the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly, and the onions are tender.
- Optional broiling: For extra crispiness and browned cheese, broil the dish for an additional 2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest and serve: Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to settle and the cheese to firm slightly.
Notes
- Use sweet onions for the best flavor; Vidalia onions are ideal.
- Adjust the seasoning to your preference, especially the amount of salt and Italian seasoning.
- To make this dish vegetarian, ensure the cheese used is free from animal rennet.
- Leftover Tennessee Onions can be reheated in the oven for best texture.
- Broiling is optional but adds a delightful crust to the cheese topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 380mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: Tennessee onions, cheesy baked onions, onion side dish, baked onions with cheese, Southern side dishes, easy baked sides, mozzarella onion bake
