Sweet Onions Stuffed With Nuts and Mushrooms

If you love onions like we do, especially when the Walla Walla sweets come into season (and it's not that far away), you should prepare yourself for this wonderful vegetarian dish which we make for dinner with a side salad. Even though we aren't vegetarians, we LOVE these wonderful onions. They can also be served as an impressive side dish to a meat/fish entree....healthy and delectable. Thanks to Better Homes and Gardens.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 6  large sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.)
• 1  teaspoon  cooking oil
• 3⁄4 cup  chopped mushroom (type of your choice)
• 1  small carrot, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 cup apple cider or 1⁄2 cup  apple juice
• 1  medium  tart baking apple, cored and finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup  cooked wild rice or 1⁄2 cup long grain rice (I cook up rice ahead of time and freeze it for such recipes.)
• 1⁄3 cup  chopped hazelnuts
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  soft  whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1  tablespoon  snipped fresh basil
• 1⁄3 cup apple cider

Directions

1. Cut a thin slice from the bottom and top of each onion, leaving onion skins on.
2. Scoop out onion centers, leaving about 1/4-inch-thick shells.
3. Finely chop enough of the removed onion centers to measure 1/3 cup.
4. Brush onions with oil.
5. For filling, in large skillet cook the 1/3 cup reserved onion centers, mushrooms, carrot and pepper in 1 tablespoons of margarine for 5 minutes.
6. Slowly add the 1/2 cup cider.
7. Stir in apple, rice, nuts, and salt; cook for 1 minute more.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Stir in 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and basil.
10. Spoon filling into each onion shell.
11. Arrange stuffed onions in a 2-qt.
12. rectangular baking dish.
13. Pour 1/3 cup apple cider around stuffed onions.
14. Bake, covered, in 350F oven for 40 minutes or until onions are tender.
15. Melt remaining margarine and stir together with remaining bread crumbs; sprinkle over onions.
16. Bake, uncovered, for 5-15 minutes more or until onions are tender.
17. Remove outer skins before eating.