Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Stuffed Whole Onions

Ingredients

• 4 large yellow onions (tops removed; centers scooped out, leaving thick outer shells; chop some of the removed onion for the filling)
• 6 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled; use half in the filling and the remainder as topping)
• 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese (½ cup goes in the filling; use the remainder as topping)
• 0.5 lb ground beef
• 2 garlic (cloves, minced)
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for greasing the baking dish)
• 2 tbsp green onions (chopped, for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish with the olive oil.

2. 2

   Slice the tops off the onions. Carefully scoop out the centers, leaving a thick outer shell. Chop some of the removed onion for the filling.

3. 3

   In a bowl, mix the ground beef, chopped removed onion, minced garlic, BBQ sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.

4. 4

   Stir half of the crumbled bacon and ½ cup of the shredded cheddar into the beef mixture.

5. 5

   Generously stuff each onion shell with the beef mixture. Arrange the stuffed onions in the greased baking dish.

6. 6

   Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the foil. Top the onions with the remaining cheddar and bacon.

8. 8

   Bake uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, until the onions are tender, the beef is cooked through, and the cheese is golden and melted.

9. 9

   Garnish with the chopped green onions and serve hot.

Notes

The source does not specify how much of the scooped onion to chop for the filling. Total cook time is given as 45–50 minutes; 50 minutes is used for the estimate.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• American
• baked
• stuffed onions
• high-protein