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You can actually make this and the Green Bean Casserole a day ahead and reheat for about 45 minutes while you make the gravy and mashed potatoes.
For the onions, buy 2-3 cans of Diamond brand small pearl onions. One year I was feeling self-righteous and used fresh pearl onions. It took me hours to peel the damn things. My mother once opted for a bag of frozen pearl onions. They just weren't the same. The canned ones are easy, and we're not trying to impress anybody, right?
Make a simple white sauce. This means melting some butter over medium heat, adding a like quantity of flour and cooking that for a few minutes. Then slowly add milk. If you used a quarter cup each of butter and flour, use about a cup of milk. If this is too casual, consult any cookbook for a more precise recipe.
As the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, add some grated or crumbled cheese. It can be almost anything, but in recent years I've found that an extra sharp cheddar (I like Bandon full cream cheddar) mixed with anything blue-veined (sweet gorgonzola is very nice) tastes best. A shot of bourbon or brandy is also good here (in the sauce, that is, but feel free).
Open the cans, drain the water off of the onions, and pour them into a shallow baking dish. Pour the sauce over, and top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake the onions at 350 until browned on top.