Caramelized Onions

This is an easy way to make perfect caramelized onions and is a fun use for a slow cooker. (There's also a stove top recipe posted here.)  It is derived from a recipe in the book "Slow Cooker Cooking" by Laura Brody. The onions are delicious by themselves or in almost any dish that calls for onions: pasta, risotto, soups, stews, etc. Keep the juice for cooking; it, along with the onions, makes a great French Onion Soup, which I'll post later.

Onions, peeled and sliced thinly, use enough to fill your slow cooker at least 80% full. The recipe calls for a sweet onion such as Vidalia, Maui, Walla Walla, or others. Any type of onion will work, we are trying different types to see what we like best.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter (Olive oil can be substituted; see note about butter below)

Place the onions and butter in the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 12 to 14 hours, until the onions are deep brown and very soft. Drain the onions. Save the drained juice and use it as a stock. Some remaining butter will separate when cooled - it doesn't all end up in the onions. You can skim the butter off after it cools and use it in many dishes too. Whatever you don't use right away can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.