12 Thanksgiving Onion, Leek, and Shallot Recipes for Layers of Flavor

Onions, leeks, and shallots are building blocks for so much flavor, but they can also be stars in their own right.

Onions, leeks, and shallots are undoubtedly staples on the Thanksgiving shopping list—we buy them to use in stocks, stuffings, and salad dressings, or as aromatics. Aside from the obligatory pearl onion side dish, they're not often the star of the show or even a featured player. Well, that's all about to change! We've gathered up some recipes that prove onions, leeks, and shallots deserve a more prominent place on your Thanksgiving table—from sweet cipollini onions that are caramelized and tossed with green beans and mushrooms, to cheesy, bacony onion potato gratin and savory French onion soup-inspired bread pudding. These recipes will have you loading up your shopping cart with more onions, leeks, and shallots—no complaints here!

Creamed Leeks

Sautéed in butter and bathed in cream and Parmesan, these soft and sweet sliced leeks provide a luxurious accompaniment to any holiday entrée, and a nice alternative to pearl onions.

Get Recipe: Creamed Leeks

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding)

Here, the flavors and luscious texture of French onion soup are repackaged into a hearty, cheesy bread pudding that's perfect as a side dish or an entrée.

Get Recipe: French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding)

Red Cabbage Salad With Roasted Cipollini Onions

When you roast cipollini onions, they get wonderfully soft and sweet, which helps them stand up to all sorts of assertive ingredients. In this salad, that means bitter chicory, funky aged goat cheese, and crunchy cabbage and walnuts. With so much going on, we keep the dressing simple with just balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic.

Get Recipe: Red Cabbage Salad With Roasted Cipollini Onions

Easy Roasted Cipollini Onions

Cipollini onions are full of sugar, which is a double-edged sword—they caramelize beautifully if you're careful, but they're also prone to burning. In this recipe, we cook them slowly, starting them on the stove over medium heat and finishing in a 325°F oven. Do it right and they'll come out tender, sweet, and deeply browned but not at all burned.

Get Recipe: Easy Roasted Cipollini Onions

Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

Sort of a deconstructed green bean casserole, this dish combines blanched green beans, sautéed mushrooms, and caramelized cipollinis. Each component of the dish can be cooked ahead of time—mix everything together and reheat it all just as your guests are about to sit down.

Get Recipe: Sautéed Green Beans With Mushrooms and Caramelized Cipollini Onions

Glazed Pearl Onions

Pearl onions don't have the same intense sweetness as cipollinis, so we're fond of serving them with a light glaze. One of the easiest ways to do that is to simmer them in water or stock with butter, salt, and sugar. Take our advice and start with frozen peeled onions here—peeling fresh pearl onions is a huge pain.

Get Recipe: Glazed Pearl Onions

Creamed Pearl Onions

If you'd rather embrace the more savory flavor of pearl onions, try slowly cooking them with stock and cream. We like to keep the rich sauce fairly simple so as not to overshadow the onions—all you need is a single bay leaf and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Get Recipe: Creamed Pearl Onions

Cheesy Onion, Bacon, and New Potato Gratin

A traditional gratin made with sliced potatoes requires too much prep—if you use small new potatoes you can just throw them in whole. Here, we cook the potatoes with tiny pearl onions, bacon lardons, and heavy cream, then finish the casserole with a layer of Comté cheese and bread crumbs that bakes into a crunchy crust.

Get Recipe: Cheesy Onion, Bacon, and New Potato Gratin

Roasted Shallots With Buttery Sweet-Tart Glaze

Minced shallots are great for adding a mild onion flavor to a variety of dishes, but they're delicate enough to work wonderfully on their own, too. One of the best ways to serve whole shallots is to roast them until spoon-tender and coat them in a sweet-sour glaze made with butter, sugar, and vinegar.

Get Recipe: Roasted Shallots With Buttery Sweet-Tart Glaze

French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin

This golden-brown, flavor-packed tart is what happens when French onion soup and tarte Tatin are brought together. While a sweet tarte Tatin calls on apples, this one incorporates big slices of rich caramelized onion. For best results, use Stella's recipe for old-fashioned flaky pie dough as the base, and build from there.

Get Recipe: French Onion Soup Tarte Tatin

Microwave Fried Shallots and Garlic

The dehydrating power of a microwave offers the easiest and most convenient way to achieve optimum crispiness in the least amount of time with zero mess. Zhoosh up your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes with microwave-fried shallots and garlic to your heart's content!

Get Recipe: Microwave Fried Shallots and Garlic

Sweet Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts with Thyme

These little tarts are inspired by the classic French pissaladière. They hit all those crisp, gooey, sweet, and savory notes we want in ideal grazing food during the holidays.

Get Recipe: Sweet Onion and Goat Cheese Tarts with Thyme

Read the original article on Serious Eats.