Baked Brie With Caramelized Onions, Balsamic Vinegar & Rosemary

It's also a total crowd please, fits in well with your charcuterie plate, and sounds oh-so-bougee when you tell people about it. Baked brie has been a mainstay at all my entertaining get togethers - like we're talking my mom was making this at her parties 15 years ago. I love it because it's so versatile. While I love a baked brie in puff pastry, this time, we're forgoing it, and we're going to let the simple ingredients shine. The flavor combinations are literally endless, but this baked brie with caramelized onions just hits different.

If you've never had brie cheese before, you're missing out. This creamy, rich and lush cheese has flavors reminiscent of butter, but with earthy notes baked in. Lots of people also report nutty flavors as well. Because the cheese texture itself is creamy and can be quite heavy, you'll often see it paired with sweeter options and variations (though definitely not exclusively). As you can probably guess, this particular flavor was inspired by the classic French onion soup (albeit without the gruyere).

Interesting to note though, there are tons of different varieties of brie cheese worldwide, and each creator and region will bring a different taste to the mix. So definitely experiment to see what works best for you and your palate.

The flavor of brie cheese makes it so easy to pair with other flavor combinations, so by no means is this an exhaustive list. I would totally encourage you to get creative and try whatever looks interesting to you.

• Honey
• Maple Syrup
• Cranberry
• Jam
• Bacon
• Figs
• Garlic
• Apples
• Pears
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Garlic

I like to make the baked brie in a bowl that's just slightly larger than the round of cheese itself. Otherwise, it tends to melt and go everywhere (especially if you cut into it). If your wrap it in puff pastry, this definitely helps keep it contained. This one we're just going to be very careful we don't over bake it (and if we do, the bowl will be there to catch us if we fall.

Once the brie comes out of the oven, I serve it in the bowl it's baked in on a platter, surrounded with small spoons or knives, and crackers or crostini. After that, everyone can just dig in and help themselves!

You can't have cheese without wine, obviously. Because brie pairs so well with different flavors and ingredients, the same is true for wine. Overall, it goes super well with acidic whites, like Chardonnay, which cuts through the fat with the acidity. It's important to keep in mind though, more mature brie cheeses develop more complex flavors as they age, so they'll need a more complex wine to stand with it. For this recipe in particular, I would stick with the Chardonnay, but don't be afraid to branch out and try a Pinot Noir with an older style of cheese.

This is the real astrix on this recipe, because if you don't have the caramelized onions made ahead of time, this is not a simple or quick appetizer. If you've never made caramelized onions before, the are INCREDIBLE, but they take patience and love. Check out my full guide for step by step instructions and hacks on how to get the sweetest onions with the deepest flavor.

Once you've got the caramelized onions down, this couldn't be easier. Throw your round of brie in to a small, glass or ceramic baking dish. Add your caramelized onions and rosemary to the top, along with a bit of olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the top, and you're good to go.