ROASTED STUFFED ONIONS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 10 SERVINGS
• This recipe makes enough stuffing for the turkey and the onions, with plenty left over for another baking dish of stuffing.
• 10 medium red and yellow onions (4 lb)
• 1 lb sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces
• 3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz baby spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped (14 cups)
• 1 (9-inch) round loaf country-style bread (1 1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (10 cups), lightly toasted
• 2 cups salted roasted cashews (10 oz), coarsely chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups turkey giblet stock

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from gourmet.com

Preparation

Step 1

MAKE ONION SHELLS:

Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from tops of onions, discarding tops, and trim just enough from bottoms for onions to stand upright.

Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each using a small ice cream scoop or spoon (don't worry if you make a hole in the bottom), reserving scooped-out onion and onion shells separately.

MAKE STUFFING:

Coarsely chop enough scooped-out onion to measure 3 cups.

Cook bacon in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving about 1/3 cup fat in skillet.

Add chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper to skillet and saute over moderately high heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and saute stirring, 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in spinach, bread, cashews, butter, 1 cup stock, and bacon, then cool completely.

ROAST ONIONS:

Preheat oven to 425F.

Arrange onion shells, open sides up, in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then add 1/2 cup water and cover pan tightly with foil.

Roast onions in middle of oven until tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.

STUFF AND BAKE ONIONS:

Reduce oven temperature to 350F.

Transfer shells to a work surface and pour off water in pan.

Fill shells with stuffing, mounding it, and return to pan.

Reserve 5 to 7 cups stuffing for turkey cavity, then put remaining stuffing in a buttered shallow 3 1/2-quart baking dish and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup stock.

Bake stuffed onions and stuffing in dish in middle of oven, uncovered, until heated through, about 25 minutes.

COOKS NOTE: Stuffing can be prepared and onions can be stuffed 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Bring stuffed onions to room temperature before baking.