When Suzanne Vizethann was growing up, there was hardly a family gathering or dinner party where her father’s Vidalia onion casserole wasn’t the most frequently passed dish at the table. In it, baby Vidalias melt into a rich layer of Parmesan cheese, while sautéed sweet onions fold into savory bits of bacon and buttery Ritz cracker crumbles. You’ll want a bite. Then another. That’s how it goes.
“It’s been in our family for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we always had it on the table, at pretty much every dinner,” says the owner and executive chef of Atlanta brunch haven Buttermilk Kitchen. The breakfast rendition of the family staple earned a spot in her latest cookbook, Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen.
The cookbook’s four seasonal chapters are united by Vizethann’s culinary code—taking “a simple brunch dish, but just elevating it a little further,” always guided by local produce at its peak. Early pages are brightened by dishes like No-Waste Asparagus Grits and vegetable frittatas, while Sunshine Chili and Cozy Chicken Noodle Soup warm the closing winter chapter.
“It’s just letting that ingredient shine,” Vizethann says. “Some great produce, some salt, some really good olive oil, vinegar—that’s all you really need if you are cooking in season. That’s just the way I love to cook.”
And when the sweet spring flavors of Vidalia onions make their way to you at the table, take a heaping spoonful— there may not be much left when they’re passed around a second time.
Recipe excerpted from Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from the Buttermilk Kitchen by Suzanne Vizethann. Photography by Kelly Berry. Reprinted with permission.
