This vintage Vidalia onion pie features a buttery cracker crust, sweet caramelized onions, and melty cheese for a uniquely sweet and savory pie!
Onion Pie
I recently found this onion pie recipe in my grandmother’s recipe box and I was immediately intrigued. When I made it, I was completely blown away! The combination of cheesy, crunchy, and sweet was so unique, and so delicious. I knew I had to share this!
The onions cook down until they are tender and sweet, and pair perfectly with the savory custard filling and crispy crust. This is a company-worthy side dish and would be perfect for any holiday dinner.
Vidalia Onion Pie starts with slowly sautéing chopped onions until they are tender. Then the soft cooked onions are combined with eggs, milk, and cheese to create a comforting custard that goes into a cracker crust.
The resulting pie is rich and delicious and can be eaten as an entrée or used as a side dish. I used it as a side dish for dinner one evening and then I had a leftover piece the next day for lunch with a side salad.
This vintage recipe is a must-try!!
Ingredients
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Crust
- 1 1/2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
- 1/4 cup butter
Pie Filling
- 3 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 1/4 butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Instructions
To Prep: Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Prepare the Onions – Chop onions and sauté in half a stick of butter (1/4 cup) for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft and translucent. Do not brown.
- Make the Crust – Crush about 48 crackers to make 1 ½ cups of crumbs. Melt half a stick of butter. Add the cracker crumbs to the melted butter and mix until combined. Pat the crust mixture into the bottom of a pie plate.
- Make the Filling – Warm milk and beaten eggs in a saucepan until hot. Turn off heat and add grated cheese, stirring until combined. Place the onions on top of the pie crust, then pour the cheese mixture over the onions.
- Bake – Bake in 300-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the pie to rest for at least 30 minutes to set.
Prep Tips:
- Preparation: When testing the recipe, I made this onion pie two different ways. The first time I made it, I mixed the cheese mixture with the onions before pouring it into the crust. This created a more quiche-like pie where the cheese and onions were incorporated with each other. In my second version, I put the sautéed onions into the crust and poured the cheese mixture over them. This created a more layered version, with onions on the bottom, custard on top of onions, and a cheesy top (which is what you’ll see here in the photos). Both versions tasted great, so it really just depends on your preference and if you like the onions more incorporated in the filling.
- Onions: I used Vidalia onions since they were available in my grocery store. If Vidalia onions aren’t available, you can use another sweet onion. It’s surprising how sweet the onions become in this pie after being sautéed and baked. They taste almost like candy!
- Crackers: My grandmother’s recipe called for Ritz crackers. In my first version I used a gluten-free version. The texture was totally different than the Ritz crackers that I used in the pictured version. When I used Ritz crackers, the crust looked more like a regular pie crust.
- Cheese: I used a mild cheddar. Any kind of cheddar would work and I really want to try this with Swiss cheese too since I love the flavor of onions with Swiss cheese.
You might also like these onion recipes:
Vidalia Onion Pie Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Vidalia Onion Pie
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 pie baking dish
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups Ritz crackers crushed
- 1/4 cup butter
Pie Filling
- 3 ½ cups chopped onions
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 pound cheddar cheese (grated)
Instructions
- Chop onions and sauté in 1/4 cup of butter for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and translucent. Do not brown.
- While onions are cookies crush about 48 crackers to make 1 ½ cups of crumbs.
- Melt 1/4 cup of butter.
- Combine the cracker crumbs and melted butter, then pat this crust mixture into the bottom of a pie plate.
- Warm milk and beaten eggs in a saucepan until hot.
- Turn off heat and add grated cheese, stirring until combined.
- Scoop the onions on top of the pie crust.
- Pour cheese and milk mixture over the onions.
- Bake in 300-degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes.
- Allow onion pie to stand for at least 30 minutes.
Notes
- I made this onion pie two different ways. The first time I made it, I mixed the cheese mixture with the onions before pouring it into the crust. This created a more quiche-like pie where the cheese and onions were incorporated with each other.
- In my second version, I put the sautéed onions into the crust and poured the cheese mixture over them. This created a more layered version, with onions on the bottom, custard on top of onions, and a cheesy crust on top. Both taste great, so it just depends on your preference.
- Onions: I used Vidalia onions since they were available in my grocery store. If Vidalia onions aren’t available, you can use another sweet onion. The onions taste so sweet in this pie after being sautéed and baked!
- Cheese: I used a mild cheddar. Any kind of cheddar would work and I really want to try this with Swiss cheese too since I love the flavor of onions with Swiss cheese.
Nutrition
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