April 7, 2011

Baked Onion Rings

“If I ordered these in a restaurant and they tasted like these, I would be happy.” and “I really hope you are going to make these again” … when those are the phrases I heard from Rich when he was enjoying these, I knew that I had a winner!

I personally love Onion Rings (seriously, who doesn’t) but hate the fat that I know they are soaked with. The fact that I knew (and added) every single ingredient that went into these made me enjoy their awesome flavor even more!!  For this whole thing (serves 2, in our house) there was probably 500 calories (whatever comes from the breadcrumbs & the one egg) – so you get all the flavor without all the sacrifice!

Problem: this is one of those recipes I had sitting around for a while (and bought the onions a few weeks ago too) but life just gets in the way. Why is that a problem you ask? That is a problem because we had a few months that these could have been in our lives that they weren’t. As you can tell – these are a great healthy treat and so much better than the alternative, SO don’t wait to make these like I did and enjoy today, or whenever you want a healthy classic side dish like Onion Rings (think burgers and grilling [we plan to try these on the grill actually: right on the grill OR on foil, t.b.d.] and sandwiches and so on)!!

Baked Onion Rings (from For the Love of Cooking)
  • 2 sweet yellow onions, sliced into thick rings
  • 1/2 cup of flour
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 1/2 cups of Italian seasoned panko crumbs
  • Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with some parchment paper (sprayed with cooking spray just to be safe). Slice the onion(s) into thick rings then separate them (go ahead and use even the smaller pieces or chop the smaller ones small & put them in a freezer bag and freeze until tomorrow’s dinner or whenever). Pour the flour into a bowl & season it with a bit of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper then mix well. Mix the egg and milk in another bowl until well combined. Pour the panko crumbs into a third bowl. Dredge the onions first in the flour, then in the egg mixture, and finally in the panko crumbs until fully coated. Place each coated ring on the baking sheet. Repeat with all remaining rings. Spray again with cooking spray then place into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then flip the rings over carefully with tongs. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately (with your favorite sauces)
AND REMEMBER: eating healthy doesn’t mean giving stuff up – it just means all things in moderation and finding ways to enjoy what you like!
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Filed Under: appetizers, comfort food, fresh!, Good for You, Vegetarian
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