This article is a part of "The Amish Cook Column", a weekly series of featuring a story & recipe from Gloria Yoder, Amish wife & mother of six from Flat Rock, Illinois
What a combination. It's 6:00, the birds outside my window are trying to outdo each other, all six little children are sound asleep, and Mommy is ready to write! All we need is a stretcher to lengthen the next hour til we’re in full swing of the day.
My mind travels across the country to the millions of homes, with many who are rising, getting ready for the day. For thousands, it will have been their last day, for many, there is poverty and sickness, making their days unbearable.
Cherish Every Second!
My day ahead looks like it’s filled with the norm of making breakfast for our children, telling Bible stories, helping little ones them with morning chores, teaching them to work and play with a common goal of building the family instead of teasing. Then I stop and realize that I’m not promised what will happen between now and the moment I lay my head on the pillow for the night. I truly do not know what my day may hold.
So for today I will cherish the moment, tucking deep into my heart these priceless moments with little ones. What’s better than those first days of having a one-year-old toddle all around the house? As he rounds the corner going from the sewing room to the kitchen and he calls, “Ma-ma!” As he spies me, his entire face beams and his big blue eyes light up like a light bulb. Surely it’s worth being a mom despite the rough nights and the many questions with no answers, which I keep bringing before the Lord. On my own, I do not have all the expertise needed with raising Godly children.
In regards to my days, I am endlessly thankful for my dear husband who diligently works five days a week to give me the opportunity of staying home with our dear little ones in this brief stage of their young lives. So you wonder, “Do all Amish wives just work at home and not pursue any careers?”
The Lives of Amish Moms
In recent years I have discovered that there are Amish mothers in some communities that do take the responsibility of working away from home, so yes it is done here and there, but for the most part Amish wives choose to stay home with their families. In our homes it is of great value to have mothers working along side their daughters, (and sons for that matter) as they teach them many basic concepts of cooking, gardening, sewing, and the likes. For me personally, there are few things I enjoy more than to have all the children with me in the kitchen or garden and watch the delight on their innocent faces as they help do things for our family.
I am double spoiled, beside spending entire days with my lambs (as I call our children), we have the rare privilege of having Daddy own a furniture business right here at home. Each day at 11:30 he joins us for lunch. On days when six-year-old Austin or nine-year-old Julia make lunch, we all get the treat of taking it out to Daddy while they shut down for noon break. If you happen to know anything about eating with six little children you can perhaps imagine the scene. Who doesn’t want to sit beside Daddy in his shop, and what little boy wouldn’t have fun looking for the chance to slip off and sprint through the shop when Mom isn’t looking? As we all gather around a cart (which is used to tow furniture), we sit or kneel around it, thank the Lord for the food, then Mommy ladles food to fill all seven plates.
Noon Meals Are Simple
Our noon meals are kept quite simple centering around veggies, and usually some sort of meat. Okay for example, yesterday we had the first butternut squash from the garden and fresh green beans with sauteed onions and leftover grilled chicken which Austin diced and stirred into the beans. For lunch we completely eliminate dessert or keep it as basic as iced coffee or a fruit smoothie.
The clock’s hands are going faster than mine; it’s showing 6:30 and the children are waking. I’ll be in touch next week, in the meanwhile be sure to try our Cheesy Oven-Baked Onion pie. Since we’ve harvested our hundreds of onions (anyone can grow great big onions!) we’ve been enjoying them in all sorts of versions, with this being on the top of the list!
Editor's Notes and Comments about Cheesy Oven-Baked Onion Pie
When I first saw this recipe I sort of recoiled at the name "Onion Pie." But I like onions, and as I looked at the ingredients, I saw that I loved the other main players: cheese, eggs, and crackers. This resembled an omelet in a cracker crust. Sort of.
I used a blend of white and yellow onions, but you can use whatever onions you have on hand.
I sat outside and sliced and diced my onions, on a pleasant summer afternoon. Wow, made all the difference, the onions didn't irritate my eyes at all. Although I still found dicing them to be a pain. So I ended up chopping more than dicing, but it still turned out great. Just get the onions into bite-sized chunks!
I cooked my onions on medium-high heat for 10 minutes and stirred constantly. I think that was probably the right call, but I will say that I like the caramelized, well-done onions the best, so I think if I were to make this again (and I am sure I will!), I'd keep them over the heat longer, maybe 15 - 20 minutes.
I bought Zesta saltines, in homage to my late grandmother, she always bought Zestas.
I just put the crackers in a Ziploc bag and crushed them (but not too finely) and then mixed with the melted butter, pressed into the dish and that part all went super fast.
I then buried the cracker crumbs and butter with cheese.
This is it out of the oven.
A side view of cheesy oven-baked onion pie!
I was skeptical of this recipe, but, geez, it is good. The cracker crumbs make a super "crust." The eggs pair well with the onions, I mean,this is good stuff and I will be making it again! I was struggled with whether to call this a "main dish" or a side, but decided it was a great main dish, the eggs and cheese deliver a protein punch. Pair it with some fresh summer watermelon or corn or asparagus and that'll round out your meal!
🧅 Cheesy Oven-Baked Onion Pie
- 30 saltine crackers
- 1 /3 cup butter, melted
- 3 cups onions, diced
- 1 /4 cup butter
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 1 /2 cup milk
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
·
📋 Instructions
- Mix crackers and ⅓ cup of butter and press into a 9” baking dish.
- Saute onions in 1 /4 cup butter until onions are slightly tender.
- Spread onions over cracker mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
- Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve.
🧅 More Amish Recipes Using Onions
Old-Fashioned Amish Onion Dip - So good and refreshing!
A Delicious Onion Dish - Amazing.
Pennsylvania Dutch Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Onion - Wow!
Classic One-Pot Spaghetti - Two onions diced into this give it great flavor!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Cheesy Oven-Baked Onion Pie
Ingredients
- 30 saltine crackers
- 1 /3 cup butter melted
- 3 cups onions diced
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 /4 cup butter·
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese·
- 1 ½ cups milk·
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix crackers and ⅓ cup of butter and press into a 9” baking dish.
- Saute onions in 1 /4 cup butter until onions are slightly tender.
- Spread onions over cracker mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
- Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve.
Rose Weleski
Looks like a great recipe to try. My husband and I LOVE onions! And we almost always have these ingredients on hand. Thank you!!
Kevin Williams
Enjoy it, Rose, I loved it and if you love onions, you and your husband will too!
Carol
Are there eggs in this? She talked about eggs in her explanation but I don’t see any in recipe
Kevin Williams
Three eggs, Carol, thanks for telling me. I will go back into the recipe and correct that omission!
JOHNNY R LITTON
Thank you for sharing your recipe, but just as important is the way you describe the start of your day with all the gifts and uncertainty it holds. May God bless you and your family for many years to come.
Rhonda Hitchcock
Will try this. My mother-in-law made this recipe with sliced zucchini.
But did not sauté the zucchini. It is delicious too.
Kevin Williams
Good idea, Rhonda, I am sure this would work quite well with zucchini!
Rob
Thank you for the time you dedicate to sharing these recipes with all of us. God bless you!
Kevin Williams
Thank you, Rob!
Gail Plaskiewicz
This recipe sounds yummy! I love onions but not raw onions, caramelized ones & I am a true cheese head cause I love cheese. I will have to make this & we might have everything on hand. If we don't have Saltines, I will use whatever crackers we have on hand. I know we have Townhouse Crackers & those are good & buttery. I wonder how crushed potato chips would be?
Kevin Williams
Crushed potato chips? Interesting idea.. if you try it, let me know how it turns out. Cracker crumbs can get soggy enough that they can "reconstitute" some while baking to form an actual crust, I am not sure potato chips would do that...but give it a shot!
Pam King
Going to try this dish today. How do you use the milk, eggs etc?
Thank you. Pam
Kevin Williams
Just mix the milk and eggs and pour over the cheese-cracker mixture. Super easy, super good! Good luck!