ONION CASSEROLE

¹/4 cup butter
3 to 4 large Walla Walla sweet onions (cut into large chunks)
¹/2 cup uncooked rice
5 cups boiling, salted water
1 cup grated Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese
²/3 cup half-and-half
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the onions until transparent. Remove from heat. Cook rice in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain well. Mix rice into onions, along with cheese and half-and-half. Taste and season with salt and butter. Turn into a 2 to 2¹/2-quart baking dish and bake 1 hour. Serve hot.

Makes 8 servings.

Dear Phil: This is definitely a side dish for onion lovers! You can use the sweet Walla Walla, Vidalia or Maui onions, and they are not overpowering at all. I found that you should cover the dish while cooking, or the rice on top will not absorb the water properly and will remain hard and undercooked. Enjoy.

LIGHT AND FRESH SWEET ONION CASSEROLE

1 tablespoon butter
4 sweet onions (cut into large chunks)
¹/2 cup uncooked rice
5 cups boiling water
¹/2 cup light Jarlsberg cheese, grated or thinly sliced
¹/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
²/3 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 2- to 2¹/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onions until they are soft but not browned. Remove from heat, set aside.

Cook the rice in a small pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain off all the water and place the rice in the prepared casserole dish.

Add the onions, cheeses and milk, and stir until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Cover and bake for 1 hour. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains approximately: Original Recipe: 193 calories; 12 gm fat; 36 mg cholesterol; 239 mg sodium; 15 gm carbohydrates; 6 gm protein; 1 gm fiber. Revised Recipe: 113 calories; 3 gm fat; 9 mg cholesterol; 106 mg sodium; 15 gm carbohydrates; 5 gm protein; 1 gm fiber.