Works for Me Wednesday---Onions

Any long time reader of my blog knows that I cook for a  bunch of picky eaters!  Just the other day when I was talking about the salsa chicken, I made mention of the pureeing the sauce so there was no chunks to worry my picky eaters. 

Well there is something else that the picky eaters do not like and that is onions! However, I love cooked onions in my food!  Basically every meat and a few veggie dishes I make has to have onions as part of the mixture or it tastes bland!  Needless to say, it has been a rough road of wanting onions in things and having those picky eaters complain about the "chunks" of onion that is in their food!  

I have tried to go without onions in the food and the food just does not have any flavor!  So I have found something that has worked for me in getting onions in the food and yet has kept the "picky eater complaining" at bay!  Instead of using fresh raw onions, I use dried minced onions or onion powder in my foods. This way I am getting the flavor I want but yet the chunks of onion are basically non-existent.   

Now I do not have to worry about wasting part of a fresh onion or stinking up my freezer with the chopped up fresh onion or trying not to cry while chopping a fresh onion.  Speaking of crying while cutting a fresh onion, did you know that if you chill the onion and then peel them under running water you are less likely to cry??  Well it's true!

If I need to use a fresh chopped onion in something, I will take the time to rehydrate the minced onion.  I put the minced onion in a bowl and put in enough water to cover the pieces.   Usually though I do not take the time to rehydrate the onion, I just measure out what I need for the dish I am making and dump the onion in. 

I get the minced onion or onion powder at Sam's every couple of months. At my Sam's Club, the minced onion in the 15 oz bottle is $4.64 and the 20 oz bottle of onion powder is $3.88. 

Just in case you are wondering what the equivalents are between fresh onions and the minced onions or onion powder....1 small onion = 1/3 cup = 1 teaspoon onion powder = 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Dry minced onions or onion powder work for me while I am cooking meals for my family!

For more Works for me Wednesday, head over to We are THAT Family!