Vegetarian Version: French Onion Casserole

I don’t know where this recipe originated from, but I know it’s been showing up at family holiday dinners for years. We all have our “usuals” that we’re assigned to for family gatherings, and last year I added the French Onion Casserole to my contributions. The recipe calls for beef stock, but I knew that if I made it myself I could substitute with vegetable stock, and then be able to eat it myself. (Sneaky, I know.)

The casserole resembles French Onion Soup, complete with toasted bread and melted cheese. The recipe as follows should be doubled if you’re bringing it to an event and serving for a crowd. For our Thanksgiving dinner last week I went a little overboard on the cheese (I was trying to use up the Swiss I had purchased), and a little extra melted cheese is not a bad thing! You can use store-bought croutons, although I always find myself purchasing fresh French bread, cubing it, and toasting it in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to make my own homemade croutons.

French Onion Casserole
Ingredients
4 medium onions
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose floor
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¾ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup dry sherry
1 ½ cups plain croutons
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 ounces processed Swiss cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Cook onions in the 3 tablespoons butter until just tender. Blend in flour and pepper. Add stock and sherry; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

Put onion mixture into a 1-quart casserole dish. Toss croutons with the 2 tablespoons melted butter; spoon atop onion mixture. Sprinkle with Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler until cheese milts, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings (double for the holidays).