Vegetarian Recipes

Caramelized Onions

Are you an onion hater? If so, these velvety-smooth Caramelized Onions might just change your mind! I love onions in every form, but when cooked low and slow until golden brown and sweet, they become the side dish you never knew you needed. Use them to top a burger, add them to dips and sauces, or mix them into your favorite pasta dish! They’re a seriously budget-friendly way to add extra flavor to any meal. Plus, did you know you can get rid of onion breath by eating fresh parsley? You have no excuse now! Let’s dig in.

If you watch Budget Bytes’ reels on social media, you probably already know onions are my favorite ingredient of all time. My stepdaughter, Bijou, knows my commitment to this vegetable from our game “Anything or Onions,” where she puts an undeniably delicious food (say, brownies) up against onions and the I have to choose which one I’d rather eat for the rest of my life. Spoiler alert: I always choose onions.

Why? Onions are sweet, spicy, and savory, wrapped in one cute little bulb! They can be crunchy (like our pickled red onions) or soft and buttery, like in this recipe you’re about to make. The Vidalia Onion is also the official state vegetable of my birthplace, the great state of Georgia!

What Are Caramelized Onions?

Caramelized onions are made by slowly cooking onions over a low heat until their natural sugars caramelize. I don’t add any extra sugar to this recipe, just a little oil, butter, and salt. As they cook, the water in the onions evaporates, and the pungent, sharp taste turns into a sweet, jammy, and savory treat. This process does take time (about 50 minutes) but requires very little effort. Make a big batch, and store them in your fridge to add meals throughout the week!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this caramelized onions recipe:

Onions: I used 3 medium yellow onions, which I sliced into even strips. White or red onions will also work well!
Olive Oil: Stops the onions from sticking to the pan and helps them caramelize evenly.
Butter: Adds a rich, buttery flavor to the onions. The milk solids in the butter will also brown as the onions cook, making them even more flavorful. Use unsalted butter as we add salt separately.
Salt: Draws out moisture from the onions (helping to speed up the caramelization process) and enhances their natural sweetness.

Serving Suggestions

I can’t think of many dishes that wouldn’t benefit from a spoonful of caramelized onions! Some recipes, like French onion soup, even use them as the main ingredient. Here are a few more serving ideas:

If you don’t fancy soup, try making this French onion dip!
Use them to top turkey burgers and hot dogs
Add them to pasta—they’d taste great in this bruschetta pasta recipe!
Top steak, tofu, or grilled mushrooms with a generous serving of these onions
Use in recipes that call for caramelized onions, like our mushroom white pizza, artichoke flatbread, or chickpea spread
Mix them into scrambled eggs or omelets
Add them to hummus breakfast tacos or avocado toast
Use them in place of onion jam on cheese platters

The exact timings will depend on the thickness of your onion slices and the size of your pan. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat to speed up the process—this can cause the natural sugars to burn, rather than caramelize! I’ve included photos of my onions after 10, 25, and 40 minutes of cooking in the step-by-step below. Once your onions look like mine in the final photo, they’re done!
Don’t add extra sugar or sweeteners to speed up the caramelization process; this recipe really doesn’t need it. Time and patience will give you the best results!
Salting the onions before cooking will draw out moisture and help them cook down faster.
Deglaze the pan with a splash of liquid (like water, broth, vinegar, or wine) if your onions look dry. You shouldn’t have to do this if you keep the heat low, but it can also add some (optional) extra flavor if desired.
Cut your onions with a sharp knife to avoid that dreaded onion eye burn! You could also try Marsha’s Instagram reel trick for laying a wet paper towel over your cutting board—she says it really works!

Storage Instructions

Keep your onions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze them for later. They’ll keep for 3-6 months in the freezer. Let them thaw in the fridge before using!

Caramelized Onions

These velvety-smooth Caramelized Onions are a budget-friendly way to add extra flavor to any meal! Add them to burgers, pasta, and more!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($2.16 recipe / $0.13 serving)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings, 2 Tbsp per serving (makes 2 cups total)

Calories 22kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Ingredients

3 medium onions $1.80
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.20
1 Tbsp butter $0.13
½ tsp salt $0.03

Instructions

Peel and slice onions into even strips.
Melt butter and olive oil in pan over medium high heat.
Add onions and use tongs to evenly coat with oil.
Season onions with salt to help release water.
Allow onions to cook at medium high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until onions begin to soften and turn golden brown.
Once browning begins, lower heat to medium and cook at this heat for 35-40 minutes.
Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking.
When onions are a deep golden brown, they are done!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

how to make Caramelized Onions – step by step photos

Peel and slice 3 medium onions into even strips.

A cube of butter and olive oil in a pan.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium high heat.

Add onions and use tongs to evenly coat with oil.

A hand holding a spoon of salt above sliced onions in a pan

Season onions with ½ tsp salt to help release water.

Sliced onions in a pan after being cooked for 10 minutes.

Allow onions to cook at medium high heat for 5-10 minutes, or until onions begin to soften and turn golden brown.

Sliced onions cooking in a pan after 25 minutes.

Once browning begins, lower heat to medium and cook at this heat for 35-40 minutes.

Caramelized onions in a pan after 40 minutes.

Stir every few minutes to prevent sticking.

When onions are a deep golden brown, they are done!

Side view of caramelized onions in a bowl.

These easy caramelized onions will be your new favorite side dish for pasta, pizzas, salads, and so much more!

The post Caramelized Onions appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.