Southern Sweet Onion Casserole

I had a friend who acquired a 10 pound bag of sweet Vidalia onions through a fundraising project. She does not eat onions and knowing we like to cook, she asked if I wanted the bag so I said yes. But then I thought, what am I going do with so many onions? I didn’t know, so away to Google I went. I found onion recipes and came upon this Southern Onion Casserole. It was extremely easy to make and it was so good that I could’ve eaten the entire casserole dish for dinner. If you like onion rings, grilled onions on your burger or anything that bubbles and oozes with cheesy goodness, then this is for you! 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large sweet Vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated Mexican cheese blend
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Ritz crackers crushed (about 1 sleeve)

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Add butter to a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Place half of the onions in a small casserole dish, which has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Add half the sour cream and spread out evenly.
6. Sprinkle half the Mexican grated cheese evenly over the top.
7. Top with half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the Ritz cracker crumbs.
8. Repeat the layers ending with a layer of Ritz cracker crumbs.
9. Bake uncovered for 25 or 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced (or red onion)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons sour cream

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt your butter
2. Add chicken thighs, and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned. It doesn't need to be cooked through yet, just sear it. Remove chicken and set aside.
3. Bring the heat down to medium and add shallots and garlic. Saute until tender, about 2 minutes.
4. Add vinegar, chicken broth, honey, and mustard to the skillet, and stir to combine.
5. Add chicken thighs back to the skillet in the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until chicken in cooked through.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
7. Serve warm.

Original recipe from: The Gracious Wife

Serves: 4-8

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Serves: 3-4

First and foremost, here is a link to the original recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen. I did not want to use a can of "Cream of Whatever" soup. I chose to make my own because homemade is always better. I also left out the butter to reduce fat and used corn flake crumbs rather than Ritz crackers, only because I didn't have any. You can find my version below. I reduced the original amounts in half. The original recipe is for 4 people but I found that even by cutting it in half, I still ad enough for 3-4 meals.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (2 chicken breasts)
4 oz Light Sour Cream
1 Tablespoon of Poppy Seed
1/4 teaspoon of Celery Salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2-3/4 cup Corn Flake Crumbs, divided
5 oz Cream of Chicken soup****

****I made a Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute
1 Tablespoon Flour
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions for "Cream of Chicken Soup"
1) Melt butter in pan. Whisk in flour until bubbly
2) Remove from heat, whisk in broth and milk.
3) Return to heat and bring to a low boil.
4) Add salt and pepper to taste


Assembling the casserole:

1) Preheat oven to 350° and lightly coat a baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
2) In a large bowl, mix chicken, cream of chicken mixture, sour cream, poppy seed, celery sale, 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/3-1/2 cup Corn Flake Crumbs.
3) Spoon mixture into dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese, corn flake crumbs and paprika.
4) Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Jiffy Corn Casserole

Corn Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 can Whole Kernal Corn, drained
• 1 can Cream Style Corn, undrained
• 8 oz. Light Sour Cream
• 1 Box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 C. Cheddar Cheese*
• 1/2 C. Melted Butter

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Once combined, pour into oven-safe dish. Bake one hour at 350º. Do NOT cover while baking. Stir 1-2 times throughout baking process. 


* I suggest a high quality cheese. Using a the Kirkland brand caused a greasy consistency and look to the casserole.