In this post you’ll learn to make an Old Fashioned Vidalia Onion Pie Recipe.
Have you ever had onion pie?It is so delicious y’all! This old school recipe has been around a while…we’re talking centuries. There are a few variations but this is the simple classic recipe.
An onion pie is basically an onion quiche. It’s creamy in texture and savory. If it is your first time having a bite…you may be surprised at how amazing something consisting of a lot of onion is so darn good.
It doesn’t hurt if you use the famous sweet onion of the South, Vidalia onions, which hail from Georgia. Vidalia onions work perfectly in this recipe and that is why I wait til Vidalia season each year to bake up this cheese and onion pie.
Some of the colonial versions of an onion pie also had apples and potatoes in the pie mix. Today folks may choose to use different types of cheese or what have you.
Lastly, you have the option of using a pie crust or making a crust from saltine cracker crumbs. Both are delicious so you can’t go wrong either way.
Old School Cheese and Onion Pie
This recipe has been handed down to me from generations ago. It is so old that one of the ingredients is scalded milk. They used to scald milk for recipes before the days of pasteurization and such to kill any possible bacteria. We don’t have to bother with that step these days.
I do choose to use raw milk for my family but the way the dairy operation works in a sanitary milking facility make that quite safe today. Still, there is no need to scald the milk that I use.
The recipe for an onion pie is really easy but there is one step that takes a little bit of time….sauteing the onions. You don’t have to stand over them or anything the entire time but they do require stirring every few minutes.
The onions will cook for about 40 minutes until they turn golden, or you can choose to cook them longer until they are richer in a caramel color.
What do you need to make an onion pie?Vidalia onions, a pie shell, butter, Swiss cheese, flour, eggs, milk and a few seasonings.
It’s completely optional but since I have fresh chives in my herb garden, they’re a perfect garnish for this recipe. I also like a few dashes of hot sauce on my slice of onion pie. MMM mmm mmm.
I’ll share everything in the printable recipe card further down along with all of the steps, including the optional cracker crumb crust.
Vidalia and Swiss Cheese Pie
More recipes that you might enjoy: Breakfast BLT , Ham Egg and Cheese Cups, or Broccoli and Cheese Quiche.
If you happen to have leftovers of this onion pie, they can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to three days. A cut slice warms nicely in the microwave. The taste and quality aren’t compromised in the least.
Let’s make this Old Fashioned Vidalia Onion Pie Recipe!
Yield: 1 Pie
Delicious old fashioned onion and cheese pie, made with sweet Vidalia onions is perfect for brunch or supper.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour20 minutes
Total Time1 hour30 minutes
Ingredients
Crust
1 Store Bought Pie Crust (optional cracker crumb crust in note section)
Filling
3 c Vidalia Onion, diced (1.5 to 2 onions)
1/4 c Butter
8 oz Swiss Cheese, freshly grated
1 tbs Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 Eggs, beaten well
1 c Whole Milk
Instructions
Saute the onions in butter over medium low heat, stirring constantly until golden brown. This will take 40 to 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Use a slotted spoon to drain and remove the cooked onions and transfer them into the pie shell.
Line a baking sheet and place the pie pan on the baking sheet to help with transferring in and out of the oven.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese, flour and seasonings together.
In a measuring cup, whisk the eggs together with the milk then pour it into the cheese mixture and stir to combine.
Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pie shell. Gently move the onions around so the custard filling mixture is well combined.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
Notes
Optional Cracker Crumb Crust
Mix 1 cup of Saltine cracker crumbs (or cracker crumbs of choice) with 1/4 c butter and press into a 9" pie pan.
Hey Y'all! I'm Julia, the cook and writer behind the recipes here at Julia's Simply Southern. I began my website so that I could share easy to follow recipes that anyone can use to put a home cooked meal on the dinner table. Thanks so much for stopping by!
The best way to preserve Vidalia onions and other sweet onions: Store them in a place that's cool and dry and keep the onions separated. You can store your Vidalias in the refrigerator, wrapping each in a paper towel. Treated that way, they can last up to a year.
If you can't get your hands on Vidalia onions, you can use any type of sweet onion instead. For instance, Walla Walla and Maui are both perfectly acceptable alternatives.
The key to preserving Vidalias is to keep them cool, dry, and separated. When stored properly, our Vidalias can last as long as 1-2 months on the counter, or 3-6 months when placed into refrigerator veggie bin (mentioned below).
The most significant difference between Vidalia and Texas sweet onions is their place of origin. Vidalia onions are grown exclusively in a specific region of Georgia, known as the Vidalia Onion Belt. Texas sweet onions, on the other hand, are grown in several regions throughout Texas.
For this reason, he says it's best to store onions in a cool, dry place like a cellar, pantry, or even a garage. While they can be stored whole in the fridge, Yee notes that this causes the onion to convert starch to sugar, and can result in soft or soggy onions.
Usually, onions grown slowly in cool temperate climates will store for longer periods than onions grown under irrigation in hot climates. Extended periods of wet conditions in the 4 to 6 weeks before harvest will promote the storage rots caused by Aspergillus and Penicillium spp., especially in hot areas.
Some of the world's sweetest onions (like Pittman & Davis's Sweet Georgia Onions) are grown in Georgia. Their sweetness is due to the low amount of sulfur in the soil in which they're grown.
The Vidalia Onion is certainly unique in all the world. The sugar content of this onion is comparable to that of an apple, or a bottle of cola. It's a mild, succulent onion that is delicious raw on hamburgers, sliced alongside your steak, in a garden salad, or just eaten raw.
In fact, the green tops of onions are often used as a flavorful garnish or added to salads, soups, and other dishes for added flavor and nutrition. However, it's important to note that the green parts of onions can sometimes have a bitter taste, so you may want to taste them before adding them to your dish.
Store at room temperature in airtight containers. To freeze sweet onions, chop and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once frozen, place the chopped onions in freezer containers or bags. To freeze whole sweet onions, peel, wash and core them, then place them in a freezer bag.
Vidalia onions are grown over a long season. Growers begin growing transplants in the fall and aren't finished with the crop until late spring the following year. If you didn't start your seed last fall, don't worry.
You can use all red or all yellow (often times called sungolds. similar to my Shrimp Scampi with sungolds). Onion. In the summer I love to use Vidalia onions because they're sweet and delicious but alternatively a shallot or yellow onion will also work.
However the flavor profiles of these two are reversed. Whereas Vidalias start on a strong and end on a sweet note in your mouth, Walla Wallas are the opposite. And their harvest periods overlap. So it isn't unusual for consumers to start buying Vidalias in early summer and switch to Walla Wallas by late summer.
1. Vidalia onions can only be grown in Georgia. According to the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986, there are only 20 counties in the United States that are allowed to grow Vidalia onions and sell them under the trademarked name. All of them are in Georgia, centered around the small town of Vidalia, GA.
It's all about proper storage: Keep the onions away from sunlight, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated spot. Any environment that fosters moisture will result in onion spoilage. Also keep in mind that onions have likely sat in transit for some time before they make it to a produce aisle.
Ideally, onions should be stored in a cool, dark place between 45 and 55 degrees F. Whole, raw onions will last two to three months when stored in a cool, dry place. Places that provide these conditions may include your cellar, pantry, unheated basem*nt, or garage.
Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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