Onions are certainly a two-faced vegetable.  Raw onions have a “sting” when you bite into them, while sautéed onions are sweet and tender. Onions always make me cry when I am cutting them, however, this recipe makes me smile. When you allow raw, biting onions to cook over low heat for a while, they will do an about face and become savory, soft, and totally irresistible.

This recipe calls for sauteeing the onions that make them so delightfully sweet. They are cooked over medium heat until they are softened to a beautiful golden hue. Be patient here, as this may take some time, but once you have softened the onions, the rest of the dish comes together in no time at all. While it mimics French onion soup, this recipe is somewhat different. Though one may think of casseroles as heavy dishes, this casserole is much lighter than its soup counterpart, and fares as well on the hottest summer day as it does on the most frigid winter night.  It is much faster to prepare as well and can be a nice accompaniment to any meat or chicken entree. I don’t know about you, but I will certainly be making this dish for the upcoming holidays. 

The onions in this dish are sautéed to an enticing golden hue, ensuring a rich, sweet flavor. The butter and flour make a sweet gravy. Two kinds of cheese add just a bit of sophistication and delicious flavor, and the croutons bring a delightful crunch to an otherwise soft dish. The result is pure, awesome, homemade comfort food.

This recipe is courtesy of Tasteofhome and will serve 8 people who will appreciate a savory (yet light) summer dish.

Ingredients for French Onion Casserole:

8 medium onions, sliced
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Dash pepper
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup sherry or additional beef broth
1 1/2 cups salad croutons
1/2 cup Swiss cheese
 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large cast-iron skillet or another ovenproof skillet, saute the onions in 3 tablespoons butter until tender.

Stir in flour and pepper until blended; gradually add the beef broth and sherry.

Bring to a boil; cook and stir until mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes.

In a microwave, melt the remaining butter.

Add the croutons; toss to coat.

Spoon over the onion mixture. Sprinkle with the cheeses.

Broil 3-4 inches from the heat until the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.

It’s that simple.