Davidson Family Green Bean Casserole with Homemade French Fried Onions

Davidson Family’s Green Bean Casserole
by Renee, created for Thanksgiving 2013 (11-13-2013)

Ingredients:
12 oz package Sliced bacon
1 can (103/4 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
2 (15 oz) cans or 2 lbs. Frozen (thawed) French-Style or cut green beans
4oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (we use sharp)
1 ½ cups French Fried Onions (see below)

Directions:

1. Take the bacon and chop up into small pieces. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and drain off on paper towels. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans, half of the cooked bacon, and 3/4 cup fried onions. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. (at this time, you can cover with plastic wrap and foil, and store in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to bake. If frozen, you will need to move casserole to the refrigerator the day before you plan to cook it, to thaw).
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining cooked bacon, then sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the bacon, and finally sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup fried onions.
4. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the onions are golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Variation: For added flavor, saute’ 8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms in 2 T.butter or olive oil, and mix mushrooms in at Step 2.

(from: https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/2012/09/minimal-monday-shoestring-onion-rings.html)
Directions for Shoestring Onion Rings:

• Peel a yellow onion and slice it on the 1/8 inch setting of a mandoline slicer.
• Whisk together 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, and a tsp of salt in a pie plate.
• Working in batches, toss some of the onion rings into the flour mixture, breaking them up into thin rings as you drop them in.
• Heat a couple of inches of vegetable oil* in a pan to about 325-350 degrees.
• Drop a handful of rings into the oil and watch them turn golden brown. This will happen in under a minute.
• Remove them from the oil and drain on paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the onions.