I converted my family’s Green Bean Casserole Recipe today. I wanted to make sure this classic was ready to go for Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, I was in a rush and at the last minute we popped out a recipe using Progresso mushroom soup and no french onion topping. Big mistake! I really missed the flavors of the traditional green bean casserole. Since I was at my mom’s and had extra help with the boys today I decided to make a homemade green bean casserole with our Sunday night meatloaf.
My first thought was “How do I make homemade French fried onions?” Hmmm…
The first thing my mom and I did was to look at the back of one of those French fried onion cans…. They were actually very simple. Just basic onion rings. I noted that they had soy flour in them, so I decided to use that in my flour mix.
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH FRIED ONION RINGS
1. Gather your ingredients.
2 or 3 big sweet onions (shallots are a good variation)
enough milk for soaking onions
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons salt (try the first batch and adjust the salt to taste- mine needed a little more salt)
pepper (you can also add a little cayenne pepper if you wish)
gluten free flour (I used 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup soy flour)
oil for frying
2. Measure gluten free flours, salt, and pepper and put into a zip lock bag.
3. Slice the onions and separate into rings. I chose to fry both the little and big onion slices since I was frying them for a casserole topping.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Oil should be about an inch deep. When the oil is hot enough, a flick of water will make the oil sizzle.
5. Soak the onions in milk for a few minutes.
Don’t try to do all the onions at one. Just one batch at a time.
6. Dredge the onions in the gluten free flour. Give them a good coating of flour.
7. Place the onions in the frying pan with the heated oil.
8. When the onions start to float to the top turn them over and cook until just golden brown (mine cooked very quickly).
9. When the onion rings have finished cooking, lay them on a paper bag or paper towels to cool/drain some oil.
10. Store in air-tight container, top your casserole, or eat them!
Of course, I found these to be better than the canned fried onions. They taste wonderful in a green bean casserole. Here is a sneak peak at the green bean casserole I made. I will post the recipe later in the week.
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Posted on November 12th, 2007 by Natalie
Filed under: Vegetarian Recipes
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That looks wonderful. I imagine it would be a lot better than the ones in a can.
COOL! I was wondering how I could pull that off! I love green bean casserole! I’ll definitely have to try these!!
These look soooo good. I am going to NC to spent Thanksgiving with my sister and she always makes this. I’d love to do this. I will make the onions today and wait for the rest of the recipe. I’ve researched CREAM soups and have come up empty. Progresso is gluten free???
Thanks!
Marsha- Thanks! Definitely not as convenient, but worth the trouble!
Faye- I think Progresso mushroom soup is gluten free, but it is not condensed. I haven’t researched this in awhile, so I would check. I am going to try and have the recipe up by Tues or Wed!
Carrie- Thanks! You are way ahead of me since this is your first gluten-free Thanksgiving!
Yum! I can’t have soy flour, but I’m guessing another one would work well enough as a replacement.
Sally- I would try sorghum as a replacement, or any mix you normally use!
You just won’t believe this, but for the last couple hours I have been pouring over my gluten free cookbooks looking for a recipe for green bean casserole! I am so excited to see how yours worked out.
I was toying with the idea of making some kind of fancy roasted green beans but somehow that just doesn’t seem like Thanksgiving. Green bean casserole was my daughter’s favorite and this is the first Thanksgiving we both will be gluten free.
This was also one of my favorite dishes growing up. I can’t wait to see what the rest of your recipe is. I did find one in Bette Hagman’s book but I will be curious to see how yours is.
I love onion rings and that sort of thing. I actually have a gluten-free beer-battered onion ring recipe available, in of all places, my Gluten-Free Desserts book (as one of the 5 “bonus recipes” in the last section), and that one does not use any soy - for anyone that needs to avoid it. The ones you pictured here look fine too, and I’m sure they’re quite tasty! Hard to go wrong with yummy onion rings, which are bound to be a hit with GF or “normal” people.
So that’s how you do flaky onion rings. I’d been wondering. I made onion rings this summer when the Vidalias hit the farmers market but the batter recipe yielded a solid crust. Your flaky ones will be much better for green bean casserole =)
These were the best fried onion rings I (the family) have ever tried. I am not gluten free! The best, No kidding and I used to make onion rings for my family! Why anyone would bread these any other way would just be wrong! My job as Natalie’s assistant was hiding them and swatting passers-by from eating all the “casserole topping”. My recommendation to all those out there beginning their family traditions: Make plenty the day before and give samples to your guests and family! Not only will it get their salivary glands going it will be a fun memory of their families Thanksgiving.
Melanie- Which Bette Hagman book was it in? I have two, so I should go look and see!
Mike- Onion rings should be in the dessert category, for sure!
Mary Frances- These are perfect for a casserole topping, but I would love to see your recipe with the solid outside. Did I miss it? If not, post it soon! I would love to try yours too.
Andrea “Mother”- I would have loved to have leftovers, but everyone ate them. I guess we will be frying these fresh for Thanksgiving! That is the way it should be anyway I guess.
Opps! Too many cookbooks out last night! I went back to look and it was not in her cookbook. It was in Gluten-Free Quick and Easy By Carol Fenster, Ph.D. page 273.
In her recipe you just dust them with cornstarch and fry them. But I thought yours sounded better to soak them in milk and the added flours. The good part of the oringinal is the flavorful breading. I didn’t think cornstarch sounded like enough.
I wonder if I did the onion rings on Sunday if they will keep ok till Thursday. I was thinking if they got soggy I could crisp them in the oven a bit before mixing them in the casserole. I am trying to do as much ahead as possible. I am so excited now!
Yum. I’ve used rice flour and they came out great. I saw Bobby Flay make them with Rice flour on a special and since then that is how I did it. I also found some in the Asian food aisle of my grocery store that consisted of palm oil and onions, but the homemade are much better.
[...] French Fried Onions [...]
[...] favorite dishes. I was just going to make simple roasted green beans, but then I was inspired by this post at Gluten Free Mommy. When I saw her post I just knew I had to make it for my girl. So we will [...]
These gluten-free onion rings look amazing. Can’t wait to try them out on my children.
Thanks!
Elana
I just made these. they are delicious! For some reason, I couldn’t find the French’s fried onions at the store. I love the Internet for rough times like these!