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Creamed Pearl Onions with Sage and Thyme

Creamed pearl onions with sage and thyme in a velvety cream sauce—simmered until tender and lightly golden. Fried sage leaves add a crisp, fragrant finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

frozen pearl onions, thawed
  • 2 bags (14 oz each) frozen pearl onions, thawed
butter
  • 3 tbsp butter
fresh sage, chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, plus whole leaves for garnish
fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
chicken broth
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
heavy cream
  • 0.75 cup heavy cream
grated Parmesan
  • 0.25 cup grated Parmesan
salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
white pepper
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
nutmeg
  • 0.06 tsp nutmeg pinch

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Fry sage and start onions
  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry a few whole sage leaves for 30 seconds until crisp, then set them aside.
  2. Add the thawed pearl onions to the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the onions look lightly golden.
Make the cream sauce
  1. Stir in the chopped sage, thyme, and all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute over medium heat. The mixture should smell fragrant and look slightly thickened.
  2. Whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer for 6-8 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens and the onions are tender.
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the grated Parmesan, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Cook 1 more minute, until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
  2. Top the creamed pearl onions with the crispy sage leaves and serve warm. The garnish should stay crisp against the hot, creamy onions.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium-low once the cream goes in so the sauce thickens without separating. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauce can break after thawing. If you want a lighter option, swap in half-and-half for the heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly less thick).