Tennessee Onions (Wyatt Foley)

Ingredients

• 3 lb sweet onions, peeled and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 2 tbsp good olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a little more to garnish
• 4 oz mild cheddar, freshly grated (such as Tillamook), divided
• 4 oz Gruyere, freshly grated, divided
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano)
• 3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
• butter or cooking spray, to grease the dish, to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13x9 baking dish.

2. 2

   Peel the onions and slice them about 1/4 inch thick on a mandoline. Keep the slices even and on the thin side so they bake up silky instead of crunchy. Toss to separate the rings.

3. 3

   Stir together the salt, pepper, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, dry mustard, brown sugar, cayenne and thyme.

4. 4

   Toss the onions with the olive oil to coat. Sprinkle on half the spice mixture and toss with your hands, then add the rest and toss again.

5. 5

   Spread half the onions in the dish. Top with 2 oz cheddar and 2 oz Gruyere.

6. 6

   Add the rest of the onions, then the remaining 2 oz cheddar and 2 oz Gruyere. Sprinkle the Pecorino over the top and dot with the butter.

7. 7

   Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes.

   45 min
8. 8

   Uncover and bake about 30 minutes more, until the onions are meltingly soft and the top is golden and bubbling.

   30 min
9. 9

   Let it rest about 10 minutes, sprinkle with a little fresh thyme and serve.

   10 min