Jumbo onions grown in the Treasure Valley of Idaho-Eastern Oregon are finding yet another place in the culinary spotlight, thanks to a recipe-development program launched by the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee/USA Onions.

Using the creative minds of Chicago-based Tom O’Brien of O’Brien Culinary, The Hot Plate and other recipe-development entities, USA Onions has put together a collection of new recipes that use jumbo Spanish Sweets not only center-of-plate but also as the plate, or bowl, itself in dishes such as Caramelized Onion-Roquefort Mashed Potatoes.

“The next cool thing is onion bowls,” said USA Onions Marketing Director Sherise Jones. Several of the Hot Plate’s stylings can be seen online at usaonions.com, and Jones said O’Brien’s latest recipes are being introduced for the high-demand holidays.

Caramelized Onion-Roquefort Mashed Potatoes from food expert Tom O’Brien make great use of jumbo Spanish Sweets from USA Onions. (Photo courtesy of USA Onions)O’Brien is recognized as an accomplished chef as well as a food publicist and culinary educator at Kendall College of Culinary Arts in the Windy City. He has developed several new onion recipes, including the Caramelized Onion-Roquefort Mashed Potatoes, Caramelized Onion-Bacon Dip in Onion Shells and Warm Onion and Avocado Dip.

Each of the Chicago food expert’s new onion dishes takes advantage of USA Onions’ bigger size profile and the savory sweetness the Spanish Sweets take on when cooked. The onions are well-suited for both foodservice and retail markets, and a downloadable digital cookbook on USA Onions’ website provides consumers with access to recipes developed for home-prepared meals.

During the summer leading into the 2014-15 USA Onions shipping season, Jones released the onion buyer tool kit, a “go-to” high-graphic reference piece that provides detailed information on every aspect of the Spanish Sweets, from sizing to yield charts and a list of shippers.

And in addition to the 44-page tool kit, USA Onions created a separate recipe booklet that covers all markets with its content, and the committee continues to expand its reach through social media, providing links to keep followers from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest connected and current with every new use for the versatile Spanish Sweets.

The committee also uses the budding skills of culinary students, as exhibited in the February 2014 Idaho Culinary Celebration staged in Chicago. The event featured several Idaho food items provided by USA Onions, the Idaho Potato Commission, the Idaho Department of Agriculture, Clear Springs Foods, Agri Beef Co., 13 Foods, Fish Processors of Idaho, Southwind Farms and Glambia Foods.

Included in the two-day celebration were receptions at Kendall College and a Young Chef Competition at Le Cordon Bleu College.