Let’s talk about kitchen staples for a sec. You should always have extra virgin olive oil on hand. Always always always. Onions are a must too. Make sure you get some every time you’re out grocery shopping. Balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, salt & brown sugar are necessities as well. Why? Because without these staples, you can’t just go into your kitchen one Sunday afternoon and make caramelized onion jam on a whim. And how sad is a refrigerator that doesn’t have a nice little jar of Caramelized Onion Jam in it? Very sad.
So, what does one do with Caramelized Onion Jam? Let’s brainstorm!
- put it on a pizza with Gorgonzola and pears
- add it to crostini with figs and goat cheese & prosciutto
- put it on a steak sandwich or burger with a grainy mustard
- add it to pasta with roasted tomatoes and peppers
- stir it into your mashed potatoes
- shove some in your grilled cheese
- put some on a hot dog
- make an arugula salad with it
- add it to a baked potato with sour cream
- add it to an omelet with mushrooms
- stand in front of your fridge and eat it directly from the jar
Caramelized onion jam is now a staple!
And we’re off!
Get your ingredients together. BTW-you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
Onion slicing! I cried SOO hard with this bunch. I had to leave the room for 15 minutes.
Total mascara mess.
Put the onions in your pan with the olive oil. Cover with a lid and cook.
You want them translucent. This is about 5 minutes in. The house is starting to smell like onions.
Measure out your stock, balsamic & brown sugar.
When onions are translucent (see below) add in the three ingredients above.
Stir…occasionally. The onions will be uncovered at this point.
After 30 minutes or so you have these caramelized onions!
Look! Your very own jar of caramelized onion jam!
What are you gonna do with it??
Caramelized Onion Jam
makes 1 1/2 cups
(recipe adapted from Whole Living Magazine)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lbs. onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock (or veg stock)
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- coarse salt
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions covered, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add stock, vinegar, and sugar and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and let jam cool completely. Jam will last in the fridge covered for up to two weeks.
