Every once in a while I become obsessed with a particular combination of flavours. There was a whole week last year where almost everything I ate contained some combination of peanut butter and banana. More recently, I went on a roasted red pepper and goat cheese kick, finding every possible way to combine these flavours, from pasta to sandwiches. But right now, at this moment, the flavour combo that has me totally obsessed is caramelized onions and bacon.

There are a few reasons why this is such an incredible flavour combination. The onions become incredibly sweet as they cook down, which offsets the saltiness of the bacon perfectly. Both become smoky when they cook, but in totally different ways. The textures are a brilliant contrast, with the onions getting so soft they’re almost creamy, which is amazing with the crunchiness of the bacon. And both require slightly long cooking time to be perfect, both the bacon sizzling in a pan or the onions slowly cooking down as you gently stir.

Here are a few of the amazing recipes I have tried while indulging in my current food obsession.

Caramelized Onions in Bacon Grease

One of the most flavourful and delicious ways of making caramelized onions is to cook them down slowly in bacon grease. These step by step instructions for doing exactly that yield excellent results.

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip

Rich and creamy, both so easy to eat and surprisingly luscious in texture, this is an amazingly sophisticated snack. It also works as an amazing spread for sandwiches if you happen to have any leftovers (which I highly doubt).

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Quiche

Perfect for a brunch dish, this combination takes the light and delicate quiche and adds in some deep, slow-cooked flavours and some amazing textures. I like to serve this as part of a decadent brunch, with french toast and loads of fruit. Also, it makes a great light lunch when paired with some salad or rice pilaf, if you’re feeling more virtuous.

Caramelized Onion and Bacon Risotto

What makes risotto such an amazing dish is the stunningly rich and creamy consistency, and adding bacon and sweet onions to the mix makes it even more so. Be sure to only serve this dish to people that you love, because you’ll never get rid of them after they try this!