Thursday Recipe - Dry Onion Soup Mix

I've got a lot of freeze-dried onions, as in several gallon cans worth. They're getting pretty old. I don't like using them as onions in recipes because they just don't taste the same. So I've been scouring the internet looking for recipes that use dried onions.

I came across one for an onion soup mix, like the packet kind you can buy. I never buy it mostly because it has MSG and other chemicals that I can't tolerate so I'm not sure how to even use it. I mixed up a batch, thinking I could use it as a seasoning mix. It was tasty, but it needed some refining.

Here's my final version. Feel free to tweak it if you want. A bit of beef bouillon powder would give it more of the commercial mix flavor. I'm not trying it because I have yet to find a dried beef bouillon without MSG. If you know of a brand, please let me know.

Dry Onion Soup Mix

2/3 c. dried minced onion
1 T. dried parsley flakes
2 t. turmeric
2 t. salt (sea salt if desired)
1 t. celery seed
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/4 t. smoked paprika

Place all ingredients in a small food processor or blender container. Mix until most of the chunks are very small and the spices are blended.

Store in a tightly covered container. Use as a seasoning mix for soups, sauces, and meats.

I put a teaspoon or so into my cheese sauce. It was the best cheese sauce I've ever made.

(I thought I'd posted this recipe, and I have as mac'n'cheese, but not by itself, so here goes.)

Cheese Sauce

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 t. onion soup mix
4 c. milk
3 c. shredded cheese (I like to use a mix of parmesan, monterey jack, and sharp cheddar)

Melt butter in a medium to large saucepan. Stir in flour and soup mix. Whisk over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in milk 1 c. at a time, whisking smooth after each addition. Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce comes to a full boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

Stay tuned for other ways to use this mix - dips, meatloafs, chicken, casseroles, soups...