Crockpot Caramelized Onions

I love caramelized onions, but I don't always want to stand over the stove and lovingly caramelize them to ultimately go into another dish that I am making.  I had a hankering for a couple dishes that I thought could use these lovely onions so I set out to make a bunch in my crockpot.

What's great about caramelized onions?  They pack a huge punch of flavor and this crockpot recipe uses a lot less butter and olive oil than other recipes I've seen. 

Crockpot Caramelized Onions
adapted from island vittles

4 large (or 6 medium) sized sweet onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
Salt
Pepper

1.  Spray crockpot with cooking spray (so you have less of a mess later).  Peel and cut onions into 1/4 inch slices; should yield around 6 cups. 

2.  Place them in the crockpot and drizzle with olive oil.  Place pats of butter on top of the onions and season well with salt and pepper. 

3.  Place lid on the cooker and cook on high for 8-10 hours.  Stir several times to ensure even cooking. 

Note: Onions can keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to a month. 

Need ideas for what to use these babies with?  Try them in your next sandwich, on a pizza or in my Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Mushroom Quinoa!