French Onion Mini Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 24-count mini muffin tray with paper liners, or butter and flour them. Recipe makes 20-24 mini muffins.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Then stir in the onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are a rich caramel color, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can turn the heat down slightly or add a splash of water at any point in the process if the onion starts to get too dark. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, thyme, black pepper, and remaining 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, and Worcestershire. Add the wet ingredients to the dry all at once and stir until just combined, being careful not to over-mix. Fold in the caramelized onion and shredded cheese.

Fill each mini muffin well with about 1 scant tablespoon of batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 12 to 14 minutes.