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Creamed Pearl Onions with Sage and Thyme

Creamed pearl onions with sage and thyme are cooked until tender, then coated in a velvety cream sauce thickened with flour and Parmesan. Finished with crispy fried sage leaves for a glossy, savory side dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Frozen pearl onions, thawed
  • 28 oz frozen pearl onions Use 2 bags (14 oz each), thawed.
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
Fresh sage
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage Chopped.
  • 0.5 tbsp whole sage leaves For frying and garnish.
Fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
All-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Chicken broth
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
Heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
Parmesan
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
White pepper
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
Nutmeg
  • 0.0625 tsp nutmeg Pinch.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Fry sage and brown the onions
  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet and fry a few whole sage leaves for 30 seconds until crisp, then set aside.
  2. Add the thawed pearl onions and cook for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.
Make the creamed sauce
  1. Stir in the chopped sage, thyme, and flour, then cook for 1 minute while it smells toasty.
  2. Whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream, then simmer for 6-8 minutes until thick and the onions are tender.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the Parmesan, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
  2. Top with the crispy sage leaves and serve warm.

Notes

To keep the onions tender and the sauce silky, avoid boiling hard after the cream goes in—keep it at a steady simmer so it thickens without breaking. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce; freezing isn’t recommended due to texture changes in dairy.