Canned Fried Onions Are Good For So Much More Than Green Bean Casserole

Canned fried onions have long graced American pantries. Typically associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas, this ingredient makes an annual appearance topping green bean casseroles. The onions' salty, golden crunch and textural variety make them the perfect topping to add interest to this generally mushy dish. Despite being good enough to keep this classic recipe alive year after year, this garnish remains sadly relegated to the back of the pantry the rest of the time.

People's association between fried onions and green bean casserole is so strong that it doesn't even occur to many of them that they can be used in other recipes. There are occasional other recipes that call for this ingredient, but apart from that, it remains sorely underutilized. However, the ease and texture of this topping give it a surprising variety of culinary uses. With so many types of dishes that could benefit from the additional crunch, it's time to start giving canned fried onions the attention they deserve.

Green bean casserole was what catapulted canned fried onions to fame. The recipe was introduced by Campbell's in 1955 and contributed to the product's success. Although the thought of this product having a variety of uses may be new to many, the idea has been around for decades.

Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company that owned French's until 2017, wanted to increase sales of French fried onions year-round. According to the New York Times, it began an ad campaign in 2005 promoting an alternate recipe: Crispy Onion Chicken. This dish was designed as an easy, family-friendly weeknight dinner, which, of course, starred the fried onions.

The glory of canned fried onions isn't in additional recipes, however; while recipes are a good start, they simply provide other boxed-in uses. The genius of canned fried onions comes in their versatility as a topping and component to spice up so many more dishes than prescribed.

Canned fried onions can be used in a variety of ways. As one would expect, they can top all manner of casserole besides just green bean. However, this ingredient is good for so much more than adding textural variety to baked dishes. The fried onions can be used in any situation where you'd like to add a little more crunch — consider putting them on sandwiches, using them to top soups, or even adding them to tacos.

Fried onions can be used as a breadcrumb swap to enhance pastas or macaroni and cheese. As opposed to bland breadcrumbs, fried onions add a dynamic flavor that gives new life to these dishes instead of just a little crunch. They can also be used in place of croutons in a similar manner by putting them on top of salads to amp up the taste.

Nearly any savory dish can be garnished with canned fried onions to add flavor and textural variety. The fact that they're ready-made and easy to add makes them a great shortcut to improve many meals. Try putting canned fried onions on everyday food and see why this crispy topping is good for so much more than topping a Thanksgiving side dish.