Vidalia Onion Bread Bowl
Here's a real treat that combines the sweetness of vidalia onions with the salty crunchiness of crisp bacon in a custard-like strata. Contained in a bowl of hollowed-out bread and topped with parmesan cheese, this recipe is sure to please.
Ingredients:
1 loaf Round bread
3-4 lbs. Vidalia onions
5 slices Bacon
2 large eggs
1 12 oz can Evaporated milk
½ tsp. Thyme
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
3-4 tbs. Olive oil
Directions:
Slice the vidalia onions into quarter inch slices. Fry the onions in olive oil using your dutch oven or cast iron skillet until they are caramelized. Caramelize your onions in batches, not all at once. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper when frying. While caramelizing the onion, fry the bacon strips until they are crisp then place them on a paper towel and pat off the bacon grease.
Slice the top off of your loaf of bread and hollow out the inside, placing the bread you remove into a mixing bowl. Add in the eggs, evaporated milk, caramelized onions and thyme. Using your hands (its the easiest way) mix the ingredients until they are well blended. Pack this filling into your hollowed-out bread bowl. Crumble the bacon over the filling and top it off with the parmesan cheese.
Place a trivet into a 12" Dutch oven and put the bread bowl onto the trivet. Cover and roast at 350° for 45 minutes. For outdoor cooking of this recipe with charcoal as your fuel use 25 charcoal briquettes. Place 15 lit briquettes on top and 10 underneath your Dutch oven. You may need more coals in damp, windy or cold weather.
Serves 6-8
This is a recipe that can easily be modified. Try using the filling with pie crusts or try adding other ingredients such as fresh basil leaves or pepperoni. Experiment and have fun!