Along with harissa and sea salt, caramelized onions are one of my go-to ingredients to make my dishes a little more interesting. Even though they take some time to prep, they add a punch of flavor that’s hard to beat. Here’s a simple, delicious recipe that I threw together on one of those “what can I make with what I have, avoiding the ordeal of putting on pants to go to the store” kind of evenings. The caramelized onions give the meatballs a rich, decadent flavor that pairs well with tomato sauce and pasta, but would also be good with some creamy mashed potatoes, or even on a meatball sub.

Caramelized Onion Meatball Recipe

Yields about 28 small meatballs

• 1 onion, sliced into thin segments
• 4 T butter
• 2 Tablespoons cooking sherry
• 1 lb ground beef (I used 10% fat)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pasta and sauce to serve

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add onions. Stir to coat onions in butter, and when they start to soften turn down the heat to low. Cook until onions are a deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. This takes about 30-40 minutes, although if you’re lazy you can cut it down to 20 by raising the temp a bit. Make sure not to let them burn! When they look done, toss in the sherry and turn the heat back up slightly for a minute or two. Take off heat and let cool slightly.
2. Transfer the onions to a cutting board and finely chop (as best you can– evenness doesn’t matter a whole lot, but you do want to get the pieces very small).
3. In a mixing bowl combine meat, onions, garlic, egg and salt and pepper to taste. Blend with your hands (clean hands, of course) until everything is well incorporated.
   Pro tip for seasoning: If you’re anxious about over/under salting your meatballs and don’t want to have to taste a mix of raw egg and beef for yourself, season it conservatively and then break off a small piece to test. Throw the mini-ball in the frying pan, taste, and adjust seasoning accordingly.
4. Wet your hands and roll the meatballs into 1″ balls, setting aside until the mixture has been entirely shaped.
5. Turn heat a pan over medium heat with a little olive. When hot, add meatballs (one at a time, don’t dump them all in so they stick together). Let cook for 2 minutes, then give the pan a swirl to turn the meatballs. Continue until cooked through, or, if you’re making tomato sauce, gently drop the par-cooked meatballs into the sauce and let simmer for about 10 minutes.