Caramelized Onion & Bacon Pie

I saw this recipe in the Oprah Magazine Cookbook and thought I must try it.  It only has a few ingredients and comes together quite easily.  You do have to have some patience when it comes to caramelizing the onions.  So if you can do that, then it's a nice recipe for a light dinner or brunch.

                                       
 You will need about 4-5 slices of bacon.  I cut them and pan fried them until they were crispy.   Then transfer them to a paper towel to drain and crumble them when they have cooled down.  Set aside 1-2 Tbs of bacon drippings to use later.  Discard the rest of  the drippings.

  Add 2 medium onions sliced to the frying pan with 1-2 Tbs of bacon drippings on medium-high heat.  Once the onions start to brown (after 7-8 minutes), add a bit of salt and 1 tsp of dry thyme or 1 Tbs of fresh time and lower the heat to medium-low. Allow to cook for 20 more minutes until the onions caramelize.  

While the onions caramelize, you can make the ricotta filling.
You will need:
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
Fresh ground pepper - to taste
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 of tsp of dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh thyme
Combine all together and set aside.

In a store bought frozen pie crust (or homemade if you prefer) spread the ricotta mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie crust.

Then spread the caramelized onions evenly on top of the ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle  with 1 Tbs of Parmigiano cheese.

Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. I suggest you allow it to cook for 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8 people.  I served it with a green salad to make it a full dinner.  You can always entertain with this at a brunch buffet.   Enjoy.