Cake, Batter, and Bowl

French Onion Phyllo Squares

Main Dishes

French Onion Phyllo Squares

French Onion Phyllo Squares

Sometimes you have to milk an idea for all it’s worth. My French Onion Mac & Cheese is by far the most popular recipe on my blog, so I was recently thinking about what other way I could highlight the same flavors. How about layers of flaky crispy phyllo dough piled between caramelized onions and gooey fontina and asiago cheeses?

Uh huh, these French Onion Phyllo Squares are as good as they sound. Caramelized onions are really one of those ingredients that just make everything better. Yes, I definitely say this every time I mention them on my blog, but it’s just so true! I served the squares with a simple salad for dinner and they reheated really nicely as well. Yay for another fun spin on a classic!

French Onion Phyllo Squares
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large yellow onions, sliced (9 cups)

Assembly:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
30 13×9-inch sheets of thawed phyllo dough (I cut mine from these 18×14-inch sheets)
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese

Directions:
To make the caramelized onions, heat butter and olive oil over medium low heat in a large nonstick skillet until butter is melted. Add onions, cover, and cook 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook an additional 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until caramelized. Cool completely to room temperature, about an hour.

To make the squares, heat oven to 350˚F. Prepare and handle phyllo dough according to package directions. Mix butter and olive oil in a small bowl and place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in a 13×9-inch pan; use a pastry brush to lightly evenly coat the sheet of phyllo dough with the butter/olive oil mixture. Repeat until 15 layers of phyllo dough are stacked. Evenly spread cooled caramelized onions on top, then layer 5 more sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with the butter/olive oil mixture. Evenly sprinkle fontina and asiago cheese on top and layer remaining 10 sheets phyllo dough on top, brushing each with the butter/olive oil mixture. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 6 squares. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 528 calories, 32.0g fat, 4.2g fiber, 16.0g protein per serving
Cost: $1.30 per serving

Blackened Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Apolinaras is pretty spoiled in the culinary department.  Last weekend I made a bunch of tofu fried rice for my weekday lunches, and also cooked up a separate batch of chicken breasts for him because he likes to loudly proclaim the fried rice is the worst dish I...

Jerk Chicken and Sweet Potato Pot Pies

I’m sort of in denial that it’s somehow already November, but the bright side is that peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes are back, and I’m finally getting some use out of all my cute boots. Plus, now that there’s a bit of a chill in the air, I’ve been...

Indian Spiced Salmon with Pineapple Chutney

Whenever I buy a pineapple, I’m always reminded of the Hawaiian cruise my family took the summer after I graduated from high school. We went to a luau on the Big Island, kayaked in Kauai, attempted to surf in Maui, and snorkeled everywhere, but my most vivid memory is...

Mediterranean Chicken Sausage and Chickpea Skillet

We’re back! Our trip to Lithuania was amazing and I’m going to work on sorting through all our pictures this weekend so I can share a recap with you. There were two things I couldn’t wait to do once we returned home though – one was sleeping in our own bed because we...

Spring Goat Cheese Risotto

What’s one to do with leftover goat cheese and asparagus? Why make a goat cheese risotto with spring veggies, of course! Risotto has been a little controversial on Top Chef lately. Apparently, it’s supposed to spread on the plate and be a certain consistency to be...

Sausage and Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

The past few weeks have been a bit more crazy than usual because I’ve been working on a grant with my PI while still trying to squeeze in a healthy number of experiments. Our annual genetics department and lab ski retreats have also been thrown into the mix, and I’ve...

Walnut Chicken Strips with Rosemary Cider Sauce

I was a really picky eater growing up, like sort of embarrassingly picky looking back...but I was always up for chicken strips or nuggets. In fact, even if they weren’t on the menu, I’d do my best to find a way to order them. At Chinese restaurants, for example, I...

Plantain Crusted Chicken

Nope, this isn’t a recipe for chicken parm, although that’s what you’d think if you just saw the picture, but it was inspired by this Italian favorite. My hubby loves my chicken parm and loudly proclaims to anyone that will listen that he can never order it in a...