Ancient Greeks hollowed onions as edible bowls in 400 BC—this technique predates bread bowls by 2,000 years.
Stuffed Onions
Indulge in these mouthwatering stuffed onions, bursting at the seams with savory Italian sausage, hearty ground beef, and fluffy rice, all simmered in a rich, flavorful broth. Each bite delivers a delightful medley of tastes and textures that will leave you craving more. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or a cozy gathering, these stuffed wonders are sure to impress!
Prep
30
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil (2.5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed to release the flavour (2.5 ml)
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 6 large yellow onions skins removed
- 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped (79.9 ml)
- 1 shallot finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(4)
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef (227 g)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (120 ml)
- 1½ cups chicken broth (360 ml)
- 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage (227 g)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tsp olive oil (5 ml)
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice rinsed, uncooked (120 ml)
- 1 can finely chopped tomatoes 398mL
🧂Spices & Seasonings(7)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (1.25 ml)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (2.5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional (1.25 ml)optional
- 1/2 tsp salt (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 tsp salt if required (1.25 ml)optional
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup strained tomatoes passata/smooth (240 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 425 °F.
- 2
Fill a large pot with water and set to high heat while you prepare the onions.
- 3
Slice the top and bottom off of the onions and remove the peel.
- 4
Using a sharp knife slice the onion halfway (lengthwise) through the layers, cutting until you hit the middle of the onion. This will make a slit in the onion, making it easier (once boiled) to peel back its layers.
- 5
Once the water is boiling, add the onions, and allow them to simmer for 10-15 minutes. You want to be able to easily peel back its layers, but avoid over-cooking.
- 6
Remove the onions from the water, add to a colander and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- 7
To a large frying pan, add the olive oil and set to medium heat.
- 8
Add the garlic, shallot, ground beef and Italian sausage and begin to fry, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- 9
Once the meat is nearly cooked and browned, add the salt, pepper, crushed fennel seeds, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and let cook for an additional minute.
- 10
Next, add the rinsed rice, fresh thyme, can of finely chopped tomatoes and chicken broth.
- 11
Allow the mixture to cook on medium heat, stirring often, just until the broth is absorbed and the rice is slightly cooked. About 6-7 minutes. Don't worry about fully cooking the rice, it will finish cooking in the oven.
- 12
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the Italian parsley.
- 13
Next, prepare the sauce by mixing together the strained tomatoes, chicken broth and salt. Depending if you use a salted chicken broth will determine if you need to add more salt, so taste the tomato sauce before adding it to the onions.
- 14
To a large oven safe pan, or deep baking dish add a thin layer of the tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan.
- 15
Next, begin to stuff the onions. Take each onion layer, add about 2 tbsp of the meat mixture to the centre and gently roll, ensuring the filling stays intact. Add the onions seam side down into the prepared pan or baking dish and ensure the onions fit snug. Repeat until all onions have been used.
- 16
Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, remove the foil and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes or until slightly golden and bubbly. The onions should be very soft and slightly caramelized.
- 17
Remove the onions from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- 18
Finish with balsamic glaze, a drizzle of olive oil and more fresh parsley.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch onions for exactly 10-12 minutes in boiling water - undercooking makes layers impossible to separate, while overcooking beyond 15 minutes breaks down cell walls causing structural collapse during stuffing.timing10-12 minutes
- ✓Make your initial knife cut only 60% through the onion's diameter to create separation points without compromising the outer shell's integrity for holding filling.technique60% depth
- ✓Cool blanched onions in ice water for 2-3 minutes before air cooling to halt the cooking process and firm up the layers for easier handling without mushiness.timing2-3 minutes ice bath
- ✓Cook the meat filling to an internal temperature of 155°F before stuffing because the onion's high water content will prevent proper browning and food safety temperatures during the final bake.technique155°F internal temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of the onion cooking water to add to your filling mixture - it contains dissolved onion sugars and pectin that will help bind the stuffing and add concentrated flavor.ingredient1 cup cooking liquid
Share this recipe
Prep
30
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Ancient Greeks hollowed onions as edible bowls in 400 BC—this technique predates bread bowls by 2,000 years.
Stuffed Onions
Indulge in these mouthwatering stuffed onions, bursting at the seams with savory Italian sausage, hearty ground beef, and fluffy rice, all simmered in a rich, flavorful broth. Each bite delivers a delightful medley of tastes and textures that will leave you craving more. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or a cozy gathering, these stuffed wonders are sure to impress!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(6)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil (2.5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds crushed to release the flavour (2.5 ml)
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 6 large yellow onions skins removed
- 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley finely chopped (79.9 ml)
- 1 shallot finely chopped
🥩Meat & Seafood(4)
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef (227 g)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (120 ml)
- 1½ cups chicken broth (360 ml)
- 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage (227 g)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tsp olive oil (5 ml)
- 1/2 cup jasmine rice rinsed, uncooked (120 ml)
- 1 can finely chopped tomatoes 398mL
🧂Spices & Seasonings(7)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (1.25 ml)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (2.5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional (1.25 ml)optional
- 1/2 tsp salt (2.5 ml)
- 1/4 tsp salt if required (1.25 ml)optional
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup strained tomatoes passata/smooth (240 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 425 °F.
- 2
Fill a large pot with water and set to high heat while you prepare the onions.
- 3
Slice the top and bottom off of the onions and remove the peel.
- 4
Using a sharp knife slice the onion halfway (lengthwise) through the layers, cutting until you hit the middle of the onion. This will make a slit in the onion, making it easier (once boiled) to peel back its layers.
- 5
Once the water is boiling, add the onions, and allow them to simmer for 10-15 minutes. You want to be able to easily peel back its layers, but avoid over-cooking.
- 6
Remove the onions from the water, add to a colander and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- 7
To a large frying pan, add the olive oil and set to medium heat.
- 8
Add the garlic, shallot, ground beef and Italian sausage and begin to fry, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- 9
Once the meat is nearly cooked and browned, add the salt, pepper, crushed fennel seeds, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder, and red pepper flakes and let cook for an additional minute.
- 10
Next, add the rinsed rice, fresh thyme, can of finely chopped tomatoes and chicken broth.
- 11
Allow the mixture to cook on medium heat, stirring often, just until the broth is absorbed and the rice is slightly cooked. About 6-7 minutes. Don't worry about fully cooking the rice, it will finish cooking in the oven.
- 12
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the Italian parsley.
- 13
Next, prepare the sauce by mixing together the strained tomatoes, chicken broth and salt. Depending if you use a salted chicken broth will determine if you need to add more salt, so taste the tomato sauce before adding it to the onions.
- 14
To a large oven safe pan, or deep baking dish add a thin layer of the tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan.
- 15
Next, begin to stuff the onions. Take each onion layer, add about 2 tbsp of the meat mixture to the centre and gently roll, ensuring the filling stays intact. Add the onions seam side down into the prepared pan or baking dish and ensure the onions fit snug. Repeat until all onions have been used.
- 16
Pour over the remaining tomato sauce, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes, remove the foil and continue cooking for another 20-30 minutes or until slightly golden and bubbly. The onions should be very soft and slightly caramelized.
- 17
Remove the onions from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- 18
Finish with balsamic glaze, a drizzle of olive oil and more fresh parsley.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blanch onions for exactly 10-12 minutes in boiling water - undercooking makes layers impossible to separate, while overcooking beyond 15 minutes breaks down cell walls causing structural collapse during stuffing.timing10-12 minutes
- ✓Make your initial knife cut only 60% through the onion's diameter to create separation points without compromising the outer shell's integrity for holding filling.technique60% depth
- ✓Cool blanched onions in ice water for 2-3 minutes before air cooling to halt the cooking process and firm up the layers for easier handling without mushiness.timing2-3 minutes ice bath
- ✓Cook the meat filling to an internal temperature of 155°F before stuffing because the onion's high water content will prevent proper browning and food safety temperatures during the final bake.technique155°F internal temp
- ✓Reserve 1 cup of the onion cooking water to add to your filling mixture - it contains dissolved onion sugars and pectin that will help bind the stuffing and add concentrated flavor.ingredient1 cup cooking liquid