ONION CASSEROLE WITH RAGU SAUCE

Make ragu sauce first:
l tbsp. butter
l large carrot peeled and diced
2 ribs celery diced
l med onion diced
3/4 lb. ground pork
l/4 lb. ground beef
l/4 lb cooked ham diced
2/3 cup dry whtie wine
4 large plum tomatoes seeded and diced
l/2 tsp. salt
pepper
l/4 tsp. nutmeg
Melt butter over med heat in saute pan and cook carrot, celery & onion until mixture is soft. Stir in the pork & beef and brown well. Stir in the ham. Cook l min longer. Riasr heat to high pour in the iwine and allow it to evaporagte. Stir in the tomatoes, s&p and nutme. Lower heat and simmer the sauce covered for 35 mins.
Sauce can be kept for 5 days or frozen.
Cream Sauce:
4 tbsps. butter
l/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
l tsp. salt
l/4 tsp. nutmeg
Filling: 2 lbs. spanish onions, peeled and cut into l/4″ thickrings
5 tbsp. flour
l to l-l/2 cups veggie oil
l/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, diced (fresh would be great)
6 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Melt butter over med heat in 2 qt. saucepan. Stir in flour and cook mixture until it is smooth but not browned. Slowly pour in the milk and continue to cook stirring frequently until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove sauce from the heat stir in the salt and nutmet. Cover pot and set aside or refrigerate the sauce if you are planning to make the casserole a few days later.
Put the onion rings in a large paper bag with the flour. Close the bag and shake it to lightly coat the rings. Heat l cup of the beggie oil in heavy duty pot or saute pan and when oil bdgins to shimmer add the onions in batches and brown them on both sides. As tghey brown remove them to paper lined baking sheets. Add more oil as needed to cook all the onions.
Heat oven 350. Spread l/2 cup of the cream sauce in bottom fo l3x8″ casserole or similar dish. S;read 2 cups of the ragu over the cream sauce. Spread l/3 of the onion mxiture over the ragu, l/3 of the mozzarella over the onions, l/2 cup of the cream sauce over the mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp. of the parmesan ovdr the mozzarella. Continue making two more layers in the same manner. Pour the remaining cream sauce over th casserole. Bake uncovered for 30-35 mins or until it is bubbly and hto. Serve immediately
Serves 6 to 8 Marianne Esposito TV