Sometimes, especially around the holidays, more than one family member stops at the supermarket to pick up a few things before heading home at the end of the work day. Sometimes, unbeknownst to one another, each family member picks up precisely the same item, and then that’s how you end up with three large bags of onions. And sometimes the kitchen counter fills up with a number of mostly empty bottles of wine. Here’s what to do when this happens to you.

1 1/2 lbs peeled yellow onions, sliced thickly
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup white wine
1-2 cups water
1 dry red chili pepper (if you like heat)
1 tsp. salt

Place the onions in a single layer in a large flat frying pan. Cover the onions with white wine, diluted with 1 cup of water. Turn heat to medium-high. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, sugar, dry red chili pepper, vinegar and tomato paste, and pour over the onions. Cover the pan, and allow to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly boiled away and the onions are beginning to glaze. Keep an eye on the pan, and add remaining water as necessary to prevent burning or sticking. Remember to discard the red chili before serving.

In the meanwhile, as your onions cook, you can scramble up some eggs in a second frying pan, and wash some greens for a nice little salad. And then you’ll be all set.