What smells better than onions browning on the stove? Nothing we can think of. Caramelized onions taste amazing too, lending rich, satisfying deliciousness to all kinds of meals: Use them to create killer dips, savory tarts, or rustic pissaladières. Serve them in French onion soup, steak sandwiches, burgers, pastas, seafood preparations, curries, omelets and scrambles, quesadillas, couscous, and pan sauces. Toss them atop steaks, pizzas, hearty salads, sauteed greens, grits, baked or mashed potatoes—we could do this all day, but you get the point, right? Caramelized onions are the ultimate augmenter, lending rich flavor and lovely texture to dishes both simple and refined.

We like ours seasoned with some fresh minced thyme, though rosemary or marjoram would be great too. Before serving, we add water and champagne vinegar—the water helps cut down on oiliness, while the champagne vinegar rounds out and brightens the flavors. These onions serve as a topping to our decadent Au Jus Burger, but feel free to use them however you like—heaven knows you’ve got options.