Preparation:
Peel the onions and cut 1/2 inch off the top and bottom of each one. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add the onions, and boil for 7 minutes. Drain the onion and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove the centers from the onions leaving a shell of at least 3 layers. Reserve the onion centers for the stuffing. If you can not easily push out an onion center, use a spoon to scoop out some of the flesh until the center comes free, or cut out the center with a small knife. If a shell splits, wrap a thin strip of foil around the onion to hold it together. Set the onion shells in a lightly greased baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fry the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until no pink remains, about 10 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain well, discarding the fat. Finely chop enough of the reserved onion centers to make 2 cups. In a large bowl, combine the onion, sausage, bread crumbs, cheese, egg, milk, parsley, sugar, and cinnamon with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and stuff the mixture into the onion shells. Top each with a piece of bacon, if desired, and bake until the stuffing is very hot and the onion is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. |
