Stuffed Onions (Printable Version)

Juicy meatballs filled with melted cheese, wrapped in onions and bacon, baked until golden with a sticky BBQ glaze. Perfect for comforting meals.

# Ingredients:

→ Onion Shells

01 - 16 slices of center-cut smoked bacon
02 - 4 medium-sized yellow onions (only use the 2 outer layers from each)

→ Meat Filling

03 - ½ cup dry breadcrumbs
04 - 1 egg, large
05 - 2 pounds of lean ground beef (93% lean mix)
06 - ¼ cup whole milk
07 - 1 teaspoon of onion powder
08 - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - 3 tablespoons Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce
11 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked

→ Cheese & Sauce

12 - 8 cheddar cheese cubes, about 1 inch each
13 - ⅓ cup Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce for coating

# Steps:

01 - Heat the oven to 425°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil for simpler cleanup.
02 - Cut the top and bottom of each onion and peel off the outer layer. Cut them in half lengthwise, then carefully remove the 2 outer layers from each half to get 8 large onion shells.
03 - Stir together the beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, barbecue sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a sizable bowl. Mix with your hands until the ingredients are just blended, but don’t overdo it.
04 - Portion the meat mixture into 8 roughly equal chunks, each weighing close to 4 ounces. This keeps the size consistent.
05 - Shape one chunk of meat into a flat circle about 3 or 4 inches wide. Place a cube of cheddar in the center, then wrap the meat completely around it to make a sealed meatball.
06 - Take two onion halves that fit well on either side of the meatball and press them together until the meat is covered.
07 - Lay 2 slices of bacon in a crisscross pattern, put the onion-covered meatball in the middle, and wrap the bacon pieces around it. Use toothpicks to secure everything if you need to.
08 - Arrange the bombs on the foil-lined sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bacon starts to get crispy and the onion softens slightly.
09 - Take the bombs out of the oven and smear the tops and sides with the remaining barbecue sauce. Pop them back in for another 10-15 minutes, letting the sauce caramelize and ensuring the internal temperature reads 160-165°F.
10 - Pull the bombs out and let them sit for 5 minutes before eating. This helps avoid burns and keeps the cheesy filling intact.

# Notes:

01 - Don’t skip the bacon – it holds everything together and adds great flavor.
02 - Pick thick onion pieces so they cook evenly alongside the meat.
03 - If onions are tough to peel, soak them in warm water for a few minutes first.
04 - Cover the cheese completely with meat to stop it from leaking while baking.
05 - Wait until the end to use barbecue sauce so it doesn’t burn in the oven.

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