URGENT!! No onions. Send reinforcements. HELP!!

[misshardbroom]

I'm supposed to be making beef casserole for Sunday lunch. Went to the vegetable rack - no onions. At all.

3 DCs at home, one of whom is poorly so can't walk to shops (a bit far for poorly child). DH is out of town for the day with my car (DH's car will not fit 3 children in).

So with what can I improvise and replace the onion?

I have root veg, garlic, a cupboard full of herbs & spices, about a tablespoonful of left over tomato / onion salsa and possibly some chutney.

Any thoughts?

I quite often chuck a spoon of chutney in my casseroles. Give it a whirl. The salsa will cook down to practically nothing, so I'd chuck that in too.

I'd boil the root veg with potatoes, and mash them together. Yum.

Do you have any pickled onions, I sometimes use the small ones rinsed off in stews.

Thanks for your ideas. Sadly no pickled onions in the house either, but I've chucked in the braising steak & a can of haricot beans (to make the beef go further), diced carrot, the salsa, a large-ish pinch of thyme, a dollop of HP and some beef stock. Fingers crossed. Will either serve with dumplings & a green vegetable or put straight in the wheelie bin, depending upon how it turns out.

Must report back to say that actually it was really really good, in a George's Marvellous Medicinekind of a way. It will be a challenge to keep my hands off the portion I've saved for DH. And DS2's homemade chocolate mousse for pudding - what's not to like?