Homemade Onion Soup Mix (with No MSG!)
By
So far in this Heavenly Homemakers Recipe Challenge, we’ve come up with recipes for Homemade Tator Tots, Healthier Chocolate Milk and Teriyaki Sauce. I attempted a recipe for corn tortillas and while they tasted pretty good…they were NOT easy to make, they fell apart and looked ugly. I’m going to keep working on that one until I come up with a corn tortilla recipe that doesn’t take the whole afternoon to make. :)
This new recipe in The Challenge was super easy to put together! Vicki, one of our readers, sent me an Onion Soup Mix recipe to try and WOW is it simple! I tweaked it a teeny tiny bit, but really, this recipe is more Vicki’s than mine.
What I love about this recipe is that I didn’t have to look high and low for the ingredients. Many onion soup recipes I found call for some sort of bouillon. Almost always, bouillon has MSG. There are MSG free bouillon varieties out there, but what if they aren’t easily accessible to you? And so…I was very happy to see this recipe that contained just dried herbs and spices!
Onion Soup Mix
2/3 cup dried, minced onion
3 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sucanat (or sugar if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Mix all ingredients in a jar, then give the jar a good shake. I’d recommend shaking the jar to mix the ingredients well before each use.
Use 4 Tablespoons Onion Soup Mix in a recipe in place of 1 packet of onion soup mix. (I actually found that 2 Tablespoons was plenty in a beef stew recipe I tried.) Store this in a dry, cool place.
I used the Onion Soup Mix in this simple, one dish stew and YUM!
I’ll be sharing the recipe eventually!
And with that…I have to ask:
SO many of you requested this recipe that I’m guessing you all must have tons of wonderful ways of using Onion Soup Mix? I would LOVE for you to share what you do with this mix!!! I have exactly two recipes that call for Onion Soup Mix . I’m so excited to use this mix in those recipes because I’ve not made them for years. But what else??? What do you make with Onion Soup Mix??
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We make chip dip with it. Mix a packet of soup mix with a container of sour cream. So yummy! Especially if you make your own cultured sour cream, I’ll bet this is amazing!
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Merry Jo Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 5:44 am
We do this too. You could also use homemade plain yogurt! :)
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Wendy Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 8:54 am
Oh Yeah! big weakness for chip dip too, at least now I only have
guilt over the chips and not the dip too. Thanks!
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Susan Alexander Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 10:00 am
You can make homemade chips by slicing potatoes very thin and frying in a little coconut oil – I hear they come out awesome that way. I haven’t done it myself though.
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I always use the onion soup mix in my meatloaf, but have been hoping to find a homemade recipe for it. Thank you! I happen to have meatloaf on the menu this week, so I will be trying this recipe!
p.s…I think I am on my 7th or 8th batch of your chocolate syrup recipe :). Yes, I am a chocolate milk-a-holic! So, I was very grateful for that recipe, too.
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Sarah Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
could you share your meatloaf recipe please?
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Julie Grinnell Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 8:58 pm
I usually play it by ear, but basically use 2 lbs. ground meat (usually just beef, sometimes a little pork thrown it), 1 or 2 eggs, a heavy squirt of ketchup, an onion soup packet, and enough breadcrumbs to make it not too soupy. Then I press it into a bread pan and bake it at 350 for an hour :).
Sometimes I’ll make it with ground turkey, a couple eggs, plain breadcrumbs, an 8oz. can of tomato paste, onion powder and celery salt. No onion soup in that one…it’s got a little different flavor.
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I’m so excited to see this recipe on here! My oldest son is allergic to corn, and virtually all “mixes” contain corn in one form or another. I’m visiting my husband’s family this week, and my mother-in-law made this delicious roast that had onion soup as the base of the broth. (No, my son didn’t eat it!) I’d made a mental note to find a homemade onion soup mix so I could make it again at home, and corn-free, and you surprised me with this! Thank you so much!
My mother-in-law’s simple roast recipe- brown the roast, put it in the crockpot, sprinkle onion soup mix over it, add a small amount of water, add potatoes, carrots, etc. as desired, and cook all day on low.
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Jess Reply:
March 23rd, 2011 at 9:11 pm
My roast recipe is the same, but I add 1/4 soy sauce.
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I also used to use onion soup mix with sour cream to make chip dip…but one my boys has major behavior reactions to MSG, so I REALLY try to avoid MSG (no Doritos! no canned cream of mushroom soup!) I’d been using your Ranch dressing mix for chip dip, but I’m so happy to have a homemade onion soup mix! Thank you for sharing!
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Crockpot Salsbury Steaks
Take cube steaks and place 1/2 of them in the bottom of the crockpot. Use beef broth about 1 1/2 cups to pour over those, sprinkle 1/2 a pkt onion soup mix and 1 can cream of mushroom soup. Repeat layer with same in gredients and turn crockpot on low for about 8 hrs. This os great with mashed potatoes and veggies or salad!
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Shawny Reply:
March 23rd, 2011 at 9:26 pm
Forgot to say that you need to dip the steaks in flour and brown on both sides 1st! I think that’s an important step!
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Laura Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 6:51 am
This sounds great! I will try this for my husband.
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Angela Alford Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:29 am
Thank you, Thank you and Thank you for this cube steak recipe. I have a whole deer of cube steak and have ran slap out of ways to cook it unless I repeat the same recipes each week. This is going to be cook on Monday!!!
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Angela Alford Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:36 am
Hey Shawny,
I am planning a post on my blog about all the ways to cook cube steak can you give me a web address or something so I can give you credit?
angelaalford22@yahoo.com
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Shawny Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:52 am
Hi Angela,
I must say that this idea is not my own. I found it somewhere in internet
land when I was looking for easy crockpot meals.
I also wanted to say that these end up so tender after cooking that they
practically melt in your mouth! My husband LOVES these!
I don’t think I have ANY recipes that call for onion soup mix! But this looks so good! I can’t wait to make it and then go find some onion soup mix recipes!
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I dice up several potatoes and place them on a baking sheet or in a 13×9 dish. Sprinkle with the onion soup mix and then drizzle olive oil on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I love that they are so easy to make. I can’t wait to try this recipe for soup mix!
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Sara B Reply:
March 25th, 2011 at 7:04 am
I love to make baked french fries (similar to your recipe above) w/ Laura’s ranch dressing mix. We love it! I’m definitely trying it w/ the onion soup mix next time for a change of pace!
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We make onion dip for eating with chips. Just add onion soup mix to sour cream. Now if we could only figure out how to make Fritos healthy…. (don’t worry, we only buy them about twice a year!)
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I use it in a crockpot meatloaf recipe from southernplate.com. Delicious!! Can’t wait to try it with this homemade soup mix. I also use it on roast in the crockpot and for dip. Thanks for the recipe!!
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The roast recipe my Mom has made my whole life…and my Gram before her! Take a frozen beef roast. Yes, FROZEN is important! It makes for a *much* more tender cut of meat. Anyway, take a frozen roast, put it in a roaster pan, pour a small amount of water over it, sprinkle with the equivalent of a pack of onion soup mix, roast at 350 for the normal amount of time. Delicious, simple, and now extra healthy thanks to your onion soup recipe.
FYI, for those who don’t want to make it themselves & have access to Frontier Co-op they also have a great organic, MSG free onion soup mix that you can purchase in 1# mylar bags.
Thanks for all your great, healthy recipes!
Blessings,
Holly
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I like to put a roast in the crockpot (usually frozen), mix a packet of onion soup mix with 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and pour that on top. Cook on high for 6-8 hours. Makes a wonderful gravy. I sometimes add a can of mushrooms and some small whole onions as well. Serve with mashed potatoes, a green salad, and a loaf of fresh French bread. One of my kids’ favorite meals!
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Joanna Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 5:17 am
We do that too, but I found out how to make homemade cream of mushroom, so I’m planning to make that using the homemade onion soup mix. Yay for Heavenly Homemakers! I’d all but given up on being able to make this dish again because of all the “bad for you” ingredients. I’m so excited I can make this again!!!!
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I put it in my hamburgers before I grill them!
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Sheila Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
me too!
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We put a roast and root veggies in a crock pot and put cream of broccoli soup and onion soup mix over it. Just let it go for 8-10 hours in low. You end up with a really yummy broth that you can pour over your pieces of roast.
I’m excited to give this recipe a try!
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I’m so excited to try this. My husband loves onion soup mix, but I really hate buying it because of all the junk in it!
We use it in chip dip, roast, and to make “dirty” potatoes. I’m sure we’ve thrown it in other things; I just can’t think of anything else right now.
I wanted to let you know that I make sooo many things off of your site. Thanks for all the great recipes. You are helping to make my family’s transition to eating healthier a lot easier!
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besides all my crockpot recipes, I use onion soup mix (before I found out my migraines were from MSG that is) on my chicken and rice recipe. or what my husband fondly calls “Chicken on Sunday” cuz I throw it in the oven before we go to church :)
mix rice, crm of chicken/celery soup (or whatever you have), at least cup of milk and put in a greased pan (portions can vary). Place seasoned uncooked chicken breasts (salt, pepper, paprika) on top of rice (or immerse if you prefer). Sprinkle entire dish with Onion Soup mix. Cover and bake no hotter than 325 for 2 1/2 hours. (I do 275 for 3 hours) This is an entire family favorite!
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My favorite roast recipes uses onion soup mix. You take one packet of onion soup mix, one can of cream of mushroom soup and 2 cans of water. It makes the best flavor in the roast, carrots and potatoes, or whatever you like to throw in there. We’re actually having this roast tomorrow for dinner.
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Potatoes! Cut them into wedges, drizzle with a little olive oil then shake the mixture on top and bake. YUM!!!
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Woo Hoo! I am going to make onion dip this weekend with some cultured sour cream and this recipe. Can’t wait! Thanks so much for sharing! Appreciate all the hard work you put into creating delicious real food versions of old favorites! Blessings, kel
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Hey! I can do this one! I think I have everyone of those spices in my cabinet right now. My daughter and I could do this one afternoon together. Thanks so much.
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I only have one recipe in my repertoire that calls for onion soup mix – spinach dip that is very yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
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Besides adding onion soup mix to my favorite grilled burger recipe, I also use it in this easy and delicious recipe:
Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin:
1 2lb. pork tenderloin
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
3/4 cup wine (white or red)
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
freshly ground pepper to taste
Place pork in slow cooker. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over pork. Cook on low setting for 4 hours. Serve with cooking liquid on the side as au jus.
I like to shred the pork and mix it in the cooking liquid. Great on a roll as a sandwich, too!
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Laura Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 6:57 am
Perfect timing! I bough a pork roast on sale to use for dinner tonight. It is sitting in the fridge and I had no idea what to do. Thanks for the recipe!
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I was making a beef roast yesterday and wishing I had some onion soup mix! This is perfect timing – I’m going grocery shopping today and can get the ingredients I don’t already have :)
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Thanks for another great recipe Laura! I was recently diagnosed with Lupus and Fibromyalgia, and am discovering that my diet has a lot to do with my pain and swelling/weight. No pre-packaged foods, sugar, dairy, or wheat products is the diet I’m trying to adjust to and it’s not easy! I’m learning a lot from your site and appreciate all the effort you put into it. Thanks :)
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Like a previous commenter, I love to put it in my burgers
1 lb ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tbs onion soup mix
Mix together, patty, and grill. They taste delicious, are juicy, and after I make the patties, my husband does the grilling!
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Sheila Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
When I make this recipe, I use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs.
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Thank you, Laura (and Vicki), for once again adding something of real value to our day!
As Holly mentioned in the comments, I’ve been a fan of the Frontier mix for quite a while. Unfortunately, I haven’t belonged to a co-op that ordered from them for a few years. It’s been hit or miss in getting it. I’d much rather be able to prepare my own mix anyway.
Thank you for blessing me….again, Laura.
I will remember you in my daily prayers today as I give thanks for so many things.
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Laura,
As far as corn tortillas go, you want to make homemade masa or masa harina. There are lots of tutorials online for how to do that. You soak corn in lye to make it more digestible, then grind it into a paste. That is pretty much it.
A tortilla press is very helpful for forming corn tortillas, and they cook best on a hot cast iron skillet.
I hope this is helpful, I live in a community with a large Hispanic population, so corn tortillas are very common here.
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DreamingofSpring Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 7:29 am
Definately Use Masa Harina–Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one. Also the key to getting them to stick together (according to traditional Mexican Cooking) is to add boiling water to your Masa harina–add all of your dry ingredients and stir into a bowl–then add boiling water and stir like mad!! Let it rest for about 1/2 hour and then roll out into tortillas and toast them in a dry hot cast iron pan–That has produced the best results for me!
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this is a great recipe to have on hand-thanks!
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I think there is only 1 recipe where I use onion soup mix…Beef Stew. I combine beef stew meat, potatoes, carrots, 8 oz. tomato sauce, 1 packet onion soup mix, and 1 tbs tapioca (to thicken the sauce). You can put it in the crock pot on low for 8 hours, but I like it better in a 325 degree oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Sometimes we add fresh green beans to the stew 1/2 hour before it is done. YUM!!
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Thanks so much Laura. I made hot beef sandwiches last night for supper and it pained me to use a packet of onion soup mix. Now I have the perfect substitute for next time!
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I use onion soup mix in my hamburgers. Take your raw ground hamburger, throw in some onion soup mix and mix well. Shape into hamburger patties. Yummy!!
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Thank you! Thank you! Now I don’t have to ration my few remaining packets of onion soup mix, while living in Southeast Asia! I use it in meatloaf, pot roast, and even stroganoff…the return of our favorite dishes is imminent!
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I have a simple recipe for onion soup on my blog! Is that one you have? ;)
Its my simple lazy crockpot meal. You need a chuck roast, onion soup mix, garlic, water, and cream of mushroom soup.
Take the beef and brown it on both sides (to keep juices in, but I’ve skipped this step and its still good). In the crockpot mix one packet of onion soup mix, 1tbsp-ish of minced garlic, can of mushroom soup, and 1/3 cup of water (ish). Add beef and turn to coat. 6-8 hours on low. The “sauce” makes a delicious gravy! I like to serve it over egg noodles.
So happy for a healthier “onion soup packet!” Thanks!
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Beef Brisket! Place a brisket on a large piece of foil. Fold foil in such a way that you can pour a bit of liquid over the meat and it will hold it all in. Sprinkle one envelope onion soup mix over the meat. Slice one onion and lay that over the meat. Slice either fresh mushrooms or use canned and put those over the meat. I like mushrooms so I use quite a few. Pour a scant 1/4 to 1/2 cup(depending on size of brisket)of beef stock over meat and tent the foil and crimp it to keep in all the juices. Place the whole packet in a roasting pan and bake low and slow. 275-300 degrees depending on your oven for about 4 hours. YUM!!!
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That looks *so* yummy! We can’t buy packaged onion soup mix because my son has a dairy allergy, but yours will work. :) Back in the days when I could buy onion soup mix, I used it in my crockpot roast beef. Yum!
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We use onion soup mix when we can our venison. Surely would work for beef, too. We add to each quart jar packed with venison chunks:
2 bullion cubes (would like a recipe for a substitute here, too!)
1 T. onion soup mix.
Do not add water! Makes it’s own delicious gravy.
Seal and can at 10 lbs pressure for 60 minutes. Works well for last minute meals like stroganoff, soup, hash, etc.
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Definitely potatoes. Just like your ranch potato wedges, only stir them taters with olive oil and onion soup mix. YUM!
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Before I was diagnosed with multiple allergies, I used to use onion soup mix to make shredded beef.
Chuck Roast
Red Wine (to taste but min of 1 cup)
Onion Soup Mix- 1 packet
Put in crock pot min. of 8 hours on low.
Shred with forks and serve on hard crusty rolls
So many people loved it that I HAD TO bring it to every potluck and holiday.
I know now what we’re having this weekend now that I have a safe replacement for Onion Soup Mix!
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I add a packet of onion soup mix to my sour cream before putting it into my poppyseed chicken recipe (this is for 8oz. of sour cream, I use a half packet if only making a 10×10 recipe). Everything else in the recipe is the same, but the soup mix gives extra flavor and everyone always asks me how I get so much flavor in my poppyseed chicken. I make my own cream of chicken and hated adding the packet of soup mix….I can’t wait to make my own this time around. My husband will be thrilled with the ingredients as well!
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I added onion soup mix to your cheesy beef and rice casserole for a little extra flavor (because I have a similar recipe that calls for tator tots instead of rice and uses onion soup mix). My husband and I loved it!
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I’m loving all these ideas from your readers! The only thing I put onion soup mix in is our grilled burgers. I am definitely going to mix this up and try out some of these other great ideas!
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I used to use onion soup mix in my pot roast (it makes a delicious little gravy as it cooks) but stopped using it because of the unhealthy ingredients in those packets. So this is going to be a wonderful convenience and a welcome addition back in the kitchen. Thank you so much!
As always, your site gives me so much information and has really influenced major changes in my kitchen. Thanks for all you do Laura! Very helpful for a nutritional newbie. :)
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Laura! Thank you so much! My youngest son has a gluten intolerance and I could never find a good, healthy gluten free alternative! You rock. Thanks for working on this!
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“Chicken (or Pork) Hurry”
1 pck. of onion soup mix
1/4 cu. brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
Combine and bake in oven or slow cooker- the sauce is SO GOOD on with rice!!
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We put the onion soup mix over chicken and add rice, green beans, mushroom soup (Pacific makes a good msg free one)you can make a great mix with powdered milk and add mushrooms. Add a touch of braggs and it is wonderful!
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So, I have tumeric in my spice cabinet that has been driving me crazy. I don’t know where it came from, I can’t throw it away, and I don’t know what to do with it. Until today! I’ll make onion soup mix! Yay!
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Chip dip here too. Years ago my mother made an awesome cheeseball with the onion soup mix, nuts and cream cheese.
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The best is onion potatoes. Cut up potatoes into chunks and put in a large container or bag. Add a little olive oil and a lot or a little onion soup, shake, and pour into a baking dish. Bake at 350 until (I prefer) crispy. It’s usually about 40 mins. Or you could cook a shorter time for softer potatoes. YUMMY and one of our fav side dishes!
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I use the mix in Butter Beef, a recipe from allrecipes.com
2-3 lbs. stew meat in crockpot
1 stick butter (I use half salted half unsalted)
1 packet onion soup mix
Set on low for 6-8 hours. Sometimes I add baby carrots in the beginning and mushrooms near the end. Simple and delicious, my family loves it.
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Oh, yay! I love to make Apricot Chicken, using 1 packet of onion soup mix, 1/2 -1 c. apricot jelly, and about 1.5 cups russian salad dressing baked in the oven about an hour and served over brown rice. So delicious and easy to make! I even make it for company and it always goes over well. People can’t believe there are so few ingredients, but I haven’t been making it because of the soup mix. So excited, thanks again!
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I’m a new follower and I love your recipes. Thanks for being a guiding light–been looking for an onion soup recipe for a long time. I wanted it mostly for roast beef, but I stopped buying the roast because I didn’t want the MSG. Now I can start buying it again–yum! Can’t wait for you to post your one-dish stew recipe.
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