Conquer Cookouts With Rebecca Lang's Vidalia Onion Recipe

VIDALIA, Ga., June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- When Vidalia locals aren't eating their onions raw like apples or storing them in pantyhose to keep them fresh, they're firing up their grills to add a little smoke to the famous sweet onion. Only grown in areas of 20-counties in Georgia, Vidalia® onions are ideal for summer grill outs, thanks to their signature sweetness and lack of heat.

To help everyone present the perfect dish at their next cookout, Vidalia onion spokesperson Rebecca Lang is sharing a slider recipe guaranteed to have guests asking for seconds.  

"These little burgers pack a big bite punch with both caramelized and grilled Vidalia onions," said Lang, who is also a cooking instructor, television personality and contributing editor for Myrecipes.com and Southern Living magazine. "They're gloriously dressed up with blue cheese, fancy mayonnaise and pickled okra. You can find slider buns in your local bakery or bread section of larger grocery stores."

Two Way Vidalia Sliders with Toasted Pecan Mayonnaise by Rebecca Lang
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 Vidalia onions, divided
1 lb. lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 lb. ground chuck (20% fat)
5 oz. crumbled blue cheese (1 1/4 cups)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
16 slider buns or round dinner rolls
24 pickled okra pods, sliced lengthwise in half
2 cups baby arugula
Wooden picks, optional

Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne, and paprika. Stir in pecans. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut 1 Vidalia onion into half moons. Cook onion 18 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until caramel colored. Cool and chop into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Slice remaining onion into 1/3-inch thick slices. Rub with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes per side, flipping carefully with a spatula, or until softened and grill marked. Cut each slice into 3 or 4 wedges. Set aside.

Combine lean ground beef, ground chuck, blue cheese, caramelized Vidalia onion, salt and pepper. Divide beef mixture into 16 equal portions (scant 1/3 cup each); gently shape each portion into a 3/4-inch-thick patty.

Arrange patties on lightly oiled grill rack; grill 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack. Grill for 1 minute or until toasted.

For more information:
Please contact Suong Nguyen at Melissa Libby & Associates at [email protected], 404-816-3068  for questions about Vidalia onions, additional recipes or to set up an interview with Rebecca Lang. Photo is available here; photo credit belongs to Vidalia® Onion Committee.

About Rebecca Lang
Rebecca Lang is a food writer, cooking instructor and a ninth-generation Southerner. Born and raised in South Georgia, she is author of Southern Living's Around the Southern Table, Quick-Fix Southern, Mary Mac's Tea Room and Southern Entertaining for a New Generation. She has appeared on Fox & Friends Weekend, WGN America's Midday News and numerous regional and local networks. A former assistant food editor at Oxmoor House, she earned a journalism degree from the University of Georgia and a culinary arts degree from Johnson & Wales University. She apprenticed with southern cooking legend Nathalie Dupree. She resides in Athens, Georgia, with her husband, Kevin; their children, Camden and Adair; and their snuggly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Miss Bea. For more information, visit rebeccalangcooks.com.

About Vidalia® Onions
Vidalia® onions are the pioneer of sweet onions and Georgia's official state vegetable. Grown only in the mild climate and unique soil surrounding Vidalia, Ga., they're loved by chefs and home cooks throughout the world. Vidalia® onions are hand planted and hand harvested each year, with sweet, juicy bulbs available seasonally from late April to late August. Vidalia® onions, with their mild, sweet taste, are versatile and can be used in a variety of amazing recipes. These Georgia sweeties are also a low-fat, low-cholesterol and sodium-free way to get a healthy dose of Vitamin C! For more information, visit VidaliaOnion.org. 

About the Vidalia® Onion Committee
Because Vidalia® onions are sweetly unique, farmers united to seek legal protection for their crop and its name. Federal Marketing Order No. 955 was established in 1989, to stipulate where the crop can be grown and help with research and promotion of Vidalia® onions.  The Vidalia® Onion Committee administers FMO No. 955 and authorizes production research, marketing research and development and marketing promotion programs. This federal program along with Georgia state laws that protect the Vidalia® trademark have provided a legal framework for the industry. So, you can try to grow a sweet onion elsewhere, but you cannot call it a "Vidalia®," unless it is from Georgia! For more information, visit VidaliaOnion.org.

Suong Nguyen
Melissa Libby & Associates
404-816-3068
[email protected]

SOURCE The Vidalia Onion Committee