An entire casserole of onions might sound like a lot, but when they’re sweet Vidalia ovens that are cooked down until they’re even sweeter, married with some indulgent creaminess, and there’s a buttery cracker crumb topping to be had… Well, then it just might not be enough. This casserole is southern comfort food at its best and it’s a side dish that gets along with everyone – chicken, steak, turkey dinner, you name it. (To be totally honest, it doesn’t much matter as it usually steals the show.)

Now, usually when you want to sweeten and onion even further, you’ll stand over the stovetop and spend a lot of time caramelizing them low and slow. But not here. Here, you actually boil the onions in water. Odd, perhaps, but it softens them in both texture and flavor so that all you focus on is their sweetness.

They’re also mixed with butter, of course, and then folded into a mixture of evaporated milk, cracker crumbs, and cheddar cheese, before they’re topped with more buttery crumbs and baked until positively bubbly.

It’s a simple side dish, but it highlights all of the Vidalia onion’s best qualities. There’s no pungent onion flavor here, just plenty of sweet and savory goodness. (Okay, and some buttery crunch too.)