I love to search out flavors from across the globe – but sometimes I find the simplest, truest flavors are the most welcome. Here are savory onions and beautifully browned mushrooms, cooked simply in their juices. A touch of butter and a sprinkle of salt is all that’s needed to make Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions shine.
Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions
There’s nothing “fancy” here – even the mushrooms are the common button mushrooms. Of course, if you’d like wild mushrooms, Shiitake, Portobello, or just about any other mushroom, the same method applies. It’s really the method of cooking that gently coaxes out the gorgeous flavors of these Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions, not the type of mushroom.
About Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions:
So just for today, relax. Leave the herbs and spices in their jars, the sauces in the fridge and cupboards. Let the flavors stand on their own…when you make your Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions simply and beautifully…you might just be surprised. That being said, of course, you can tinker if you’d like. I mean, that’s always an option, isn’t it? A little garlic never hurts, a hint of thyme, maybe, or possibly a touch of Worcestershire or wine.
The flavors, though, of the caramelized onions are always divine, sweet, and deeply rich, and when combined with the mushrooms, this makes an incredible side dish for a steak or a topping for a burger, or maybe part of a dish, like Risotto. I love to serve Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions over a bed of polenta or barley for dinner, maybe with a green vegetable on the side.
My favorite way to serve Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions, though, is as a part of my Taphouse Salad. I posted it earlier this week and it is a beauty. Just FYI, there are quite a few components to that Taphouse Salad, which is named after Taphouse 41, a restaurant in Sioux Falls where my Dad discovered the “Hamburger Salad.” And that’s where I went wild over that salad, though I never would have ordered it in a million see had I not tasted Dad’s!
The Pan Roasted Mushrooms and Onions are just one of those many components. The Taphouse Salad also has beautiful greens, of course, and a Smashburger, Slow Roasted Tomatoes, apple, and goat cheese (or Brie) and is topped by a Sweet Sorghum Vinaigrette. That vinaigrette is to die for and it is worthwhile searching out the Sorghum. Check all the links to see each recipe for all these components.
Making Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions:
First of all, it can take quite a while to properly caramelize onions, but since these are a smaller amount, they do speed along. Give the onions a head start, though, of several minutes and don’t add in the mushrooms until the onions have begun to pick up a little color and are browning on the edges.
Then when the mushrooms are added, put a lid on the pan; just until the mushrooms turn a lovely golden brown and start to give up their juices. It’s ok to peek. When the mushrooms start to give up their juices, they begin to deglaze the pan; we want every bit of that flavor. Unlid and continue to cook, stirring, getting everything off the bottom of the pan as the juices concentrate and the mushrooms and onions are all coated in their own sauce.
If necessary at any point in this process, if the mixture is getting too dark or sticking to the pan and in danger of burning, feel free to add a tablespoon or so of water.
Storing & Reheating:
These mushrooms and onions can be made ahead for the Taphouse Salad or any other recipe. They’ll suffer after a few days in the fridge. Gently reheat, and stir, maybe around 30 second intervals in the microwave. If heating stovetop, add just a smidge of water and slowly reheat, not allowing them to get too hot.
Do not attempt to freeze the mushrooms; they will not do well.
Saving Money on Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions:
Mushrooms:
- These days, mushrooms are almost always available. What you have to watch out for is the quality and the price. You’ll usually find the best of both before any holiday. If you can time the dishes you’re making with mushrooms appropriately, you’re likely to pay half price. Be open to what mushrooms you’d use, subbing in whole or sliced. Be open to buying and subbing in different types of mushrooms. The plain old button mushroom is usually one of the best values and ties in nutritional value with some of its pricier kin – and when cooked right, can be just as flavorful.
- When you bring mushrooms home, turn over the box, poke several holes in the bottom, and store upside down. Preventing the mushrooms from sitting in condensation will extend their shelf life a little.
Onions:
- Onions are such a staple, that it’s easy to overlook paying for them any other way than by the bag at the grocer. Your buyer’s club may be around the same price but you’ll often find big, beautiful onions. Your discount store (Aldi or Lidl) may have onions that vary in size and are a bit scrappier than what’s at the grocery, but you’ll save on price per pound.
- Store onions in a cool, preferably ventilated area, in the dark, and away from any potatoes if you wish them to last a little longer.
Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions
Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and sliced across, about 3/8 inch thick
- 8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges begin to turn slightly brown.
Add mushrooms, cover with a lid and cook for three to four minutes, stirring now and then, until the mushrooms are turning golden brown and have given up some of their juices.
Remove lid, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) of salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook for a minute or two longer, until the juices have started to evaporate and concentrate. Remove from heat and serve.
Note: if at any time it looks as if the onions and/or mushrooms are in danger of burning, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan.
Keywords: mushrooms, onions, Taphouse Salad, Vegetable Side
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I’ll be bringing my Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions over to Throwback Thursday, Quinn of Dad What’s 4 Dinner and Alli from Tornadough host this blogging extravaganza.
I’ll also be bringing Pan Roasted Mushrooms & Onions to Fiesta Friday 91, put on by Angie of the Novice Gardener. The hosts this week are hosts this week are Juju @ cookingwithauntjuju and Indira @ I’ll Cook, You Wash.
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