I know that green bean casserole with with crispy onions on top is a traditional thing at Thanksgiving. I have actually never tried it because I don't think anyone in my family makes it. These green beans seem to be a variation on the same theme, pairing the green beans with caramelized onions. What I like about this recipe is that the caramelized onions dress up the otherwise basic green beans, but they can be made ahead. This dish takes only minutes to make on Thanksgiving day. In fact, I had enough time to sneak in some quick pictures before serving it up today.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

• For the caramelized onion:
• 1 large Vidalia onion, sliced into half rings
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• For the green beans:
• 2 lbs green beans, washed and trimmed
• 2 tbsp butter

1. Prepare the caramelized onions: Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter and olive oil. Add the onions to the butter/oil mixture and stir to coat the onions. Once the onions begin to soften, turn the heat to medium low and season the onions with salt and pepper. Continue to cook the onions for roughly 30 minutes until they cook down and become caramelized. The onions can be done ahead and refrigerated.
2. Prepare the green beans: Boil a pot of salted water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the green beans.
3. Add the green beans back to the pot along with the two tablespoons of butter and the caramelized onions. The caramelized onions can be added straight from the refrigerator if they were made ahead. Stir together and cook just until butter is melted and onions are heated through

Source: Week of Menus