Onion Pie

I've been stumbling across this Onion Pie recipe for over a year. I love that it's low in fat and calories and...well, I just love onions. It seemed just perfect for a Sunday brunch and I couldn't wait to finally try it out.

You'll want to start by halving then slicing 2 sweet onions. Vidalia is the most widely available sweet onion, originating in Georgia. California grows a variety known as the Sweet Imperial. Other types include Walla Walla, Texas Sweet, Carzalia Sweet, Oso Sweet, Arizona, Granex, and Maui. Choose onions with tightly closed necks that are absolutely dry, avoiding onions with a thick, woody center in the neck. The skin should be bright and shiny. If you notice dark, powdery patches under the skin, forget it, as this is an indication of a common mold which will eventually spoil the flesh.



Sweet onions have a shorter shelf life than common varieties due to a higher water and sugar content. It's best to use the onions for this recipe soon after purchase. The high water content of sweet onions means that you'll need to cook these onions down for a bit. Nobody likes a watery quiche. In a large nonstick skillet, cook onions in butter over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until very tender and the water has evaporated.



While the onions cook, prepare your pastry. You can make your own if you've got the time and a wonderful pie crust recipe. I like to use pie pastry sheets. They still allow you to put your own homemade touch on the pastry, when you flute the edges, yet it's still a quick and easy approach to executing the recipe. Put your pastry into the pie dish.



Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.
Bake at 450° for 6 minutes. Remove foil; cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 425° degrees while the pastry cools.



Back to the filling. Use 1 cup of non-fat evaporated milk and...



1 cup of egg substitute.



Mix the filling ingredients with salt and pepper. If you're not concerned about calories, you could use a cup of cream or half and half and 4 eggs for the filling. Honestly, this dish was so delicious that I really didn't miss the fat.



Spoon the cooked onions into the pastry shell.



Pour the egg/evaporated milk mixture over the onions.



Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Wait about 5-10 minutes before slicing this up so that it has a chance to "set up". Man, this was good!


Sweet Onion Pie from Taste of Home's Light and Tasty Magazine


2 sweet onions, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
1 cup egg substitute
1 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, cook onions in butter over medium-low heat for 30
minutes or until very tender. Meanwhile, line unpricked pastry shell with a
double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 6 minutes. Remove
foil; cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 425°. Spoon onions into pastry
shell. In a small bowl, whisk the egg substitute, milk, salt and pepper; pour
over onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center
comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 1 piece Calories: 187 Fat: 9 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 10 mg Sodium: 510 mg Carbohydrate: 20 g Fiber: 1 g Protein: 7 g Diabetic Exchange: 1-1/2 fat, 1 starch, 1 very lean meat.

Weight Watcher's Points per serving: just 4!