Alright, so the other day, I was staring into the fridge, like you do, wondering what on earth to make. And then it hit me – I had a hankering for something cheesy, something savory, something comforting. French onion soup vibes, but, you know, more substantial. That’s when I remembered hearing about a French onion rice casserole. Sounded weirdly good, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
Getting Started – The Onion Saga
First things first, the onions. This ain’t French onion anything without a boatload of onions, right? So, I grabbed like, three or four big yellow onions. Maybe it was five, I lost count. Slicing them up was a bit of a tear-jerker, not gonna lie. My eyes were streaming, but I soldiered on. You gotta get ’em thin, but not paper-thin. Just, you know, nicely sliced.
Then, into a big pan they went with a good knob of butter and a splash of olive oil. Low and slow, that’s the secret. I swear, this part takes the longest. You gotta keep stirring them, letting them get all soft and sweet and eventually that beautiful deep brown color. Patience is key here, folks. Rushing it just doesn’t cut it. I probably stood there for a good 40 minutes, maybe longer, just coaxing those onions into caramelized perfection. Added a tiny pinch of sugar at one point, just to help them along, and a splash of beef broth near the end to get all the good stuff off the bottom of the pan. That smell? Oh man, incredible.
Building the Casserole
While the onions were doing their thing, I cooked up some rice. Just plain ol’ white rice. I think I used about two cups, uncooked, which made a decent amount. Some folks use leftover rice, which is probably smarter, but I didn’t have any on hand.
Once the onions were looking glorious and the rice was cooked, it was assembly time. I grabbed a baking dish, nothing too fancy. Greased it up a bit.
Then, in a big bowl, I mixed:
- The cooked rice
- Those amazing caramelized onions (I tried not to eat them all straight from the pan)
- A can of condensed French onion soup. Yeah, the canned stuff. Don’t judge. It works!
- Some beef broth, maybe a cup or so, just to make sure it wasn’t too dry.
- A healthy handful of shredded Gruyère cheese. Or Swiss, whatever you got that melts nice.
- Salt and pepper, obviously. Tasted it to make sure it was seasoned right.
Stirred it all together until it was nicely combined. It looked a bit like a gloopy mess at this stage, but I had faith.
Baking and the Big Reveal
Poured the whole mixture into the greased baking dish. Spread it out evenly. Then, the best part – more cheese on top! I used a mix of Gruyère and some Parmesan for a bit of a crust. Sprinkled some dried thyme on there too, ’cause why not?
Into a preheated oven it went. I think I had it at around 375°F, something like 190°C. Baked it for about 25-30 minutes. Basically, I just waited until it was hot and bubbly and the cheese on top was all melted and golden brown. The kitchen smelled absolutely divine while this was happening.
When I pulled it out, it was a thing of beauty. Let it sit for a few minutes, ’cause it was molten hot. Then I dug in. And wow. Seriously, it was so good. The rice was creamy, the onions were sweet and savory, and that cheesy top was just perfect. It’s like all the best parts of French onion soup, but in a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs casserole. Super satisfying.
Definitely making this again. It wasn’t even that hard, mostly just waiting for those onions to do their magic. A real winner, that one.
