Email to Cat      

Vidalia Onion and Rice Casserole

Source of Recipe

From "The Glory of Southern Cooking" by James Villas


Recipe Introduction

"This is the sort of casserole a Southern cook will whip up when sweet Vidalia onions are in season or when a simple but unusual side dish is needed to complement a baked ham, roasted leg of lamb, or barbecued chicken. Just remember not to cook the onions and rice too long before baking them with the other ingredients, and do check after about 50 minutes to make sure the casserole is still moist and not in the least dried out."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
â—¦ 7 Vidalia onions, sliced
â—¦ 5 cups water
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ cup uncooked long-grain rice
â—¦ 1 cup grated genuine Swiss cheese (Emmenthaler)
â—¦ â…” cup half-and-half
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper to taste


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring, till softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. In a saucepan, combine the water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the rice, stir, cook for 5 minutes, and drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the onions, rice, cheese, half-and-half, and pepper, stir till well blended, scrape into a buttered 1 ½-quart casserole, and bake till golden, about 1 hour. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings