YOU WILL LOVE THIS IF YOU LOVE ONIONS-BAKED FRENCH ONION SOUP

I made this the other night

for the first time in ages.

It is SOOO good AND easy!

I wanted to post it before the

warm days of spring hit too hard.

There is nothing like good soup

on a cool day.

There are tons of

recipes out there for

French Onion Soup

but this is my own recipe.

Most of them call for

wine added to the mix

somewhere along the line.

I don't drink because

of a reaction I have to alcohol.

MyHero doesn't drink

either - well, just because

he doesn't.

So...

What to do for good 

FLAVOR?

Well, ma'am, I 

CARAMELIZE 

the onions.

This is the simplest recipe

you will EVER make.

I promise.

Take 3 or 4 

large yellow onions..

Vidalias if you can find them.

Slice into rings about

1/4 inch thick..or thicker...

or thinner...doesn't matter.

Put them in a large, heavy

saucepan placed over

 barely medium heat.

Throw the onions in there

with about 1/2 cup melted

REAL BUTTER 

Stir onions until they are

coated with butter.

Place a tightly fitted lid on top.

Stir a few times till they are

heated a bit.

Turn the burner down to your

lowest setting.

Walk away.

Come back in a half hour or so

and stir them down.

Check them every ten minutes or so

and when they are 

transparent  let them continue

cooking until they start 

turning a pale golden brown.

Remove the cover~

Then start stirring them 

more often so 

that they don't burn.

When they are a wonderful

medium golden brown

pour in a large container

of Swanson's Beef Broth.

(32 oz or so)

Add 1 tsp. garlic powder (not salt).

This time I used about 

1 teaspoon of minced garlic from the jar

(the kind in oil in the produce dept here)

Cover and continue to let heat

for 20 to 30 minutes.

Don't boil it though.

Meanwhile,

Cut bread into a round that will

fit the top of your oven proof bowls.

Toast the bread.

Ladle soup into the bowl.

Add bread on top.

I usually use Rye bread.

Cover with 1 or 2  round pieces of 

Provolone cheese

sprinkle with a tablespoon

of grated Parmesan.

Preheat broiler.

Place bowl under broiler

for 3 to 4 minutes or until

cheese is bubbly and golden.
WATCH CLOSELY-
It goes from brown to burnt
in a New York minute.

Sprinkle with just a pinch 

of fresh parsley or sweet basil.

DO NOT 

leave it under the broiler  this long.

(5 minutes for my oven).

And here you were thinking 

I was dadgum near perfect, weren't you?

Well, the one above was

MY OWN BOWL,

thank you very much.

I didn't want to waste it

and I didn't want 

MyHero to whine about

burnt cheese....

His looked like this~

So...there you have it...

Serve with a 

Caesar's salad and

you have a complete meal.

YUM.

ps...just a warning...

Don't be kissing your cousins

unless they have been eating 

the onion soup, too....

ummm...wait a minute...

you shouldn't be kissing your

cousin at all, should you?

At least Wisconsin says it's 

A No-No.

Here's the condensed recipe..

Get it? Condensed? Soup?...oh never mind..

French Onion Soup

3 or 4 LARGE sweet onions

1/2 cup butter (even if you double this recipe

you don't need more butter) NO OLEO!

1 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1-32 oz container Beef Broth.

(you can add an extra small can

to this if you like it "soupier")

Rounds of rye bread

Rounds of Provolone cheese or mozzarella 

Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a heavy pan over medium heat.

Add onions and stir to coat with butter.

Put lid on. Make sure it fits tight.

When heated through, turn temp down to simmer.

Cover and let cook as long as

needed, stirring occasionally,  until

they turn a medium golden brown.

Add beef broth and continue to simmer

to blend flavors.

Ladle into bowls.

Cover with 1 bread round

Cover bread with 2 slices Provolone cheese

(or mozzarella cheese)

Broil under oven broiler 2 o 3 minutes

until bubbly and golden colored.

Sprinkle with a few bits of

parsley or basil.

Serves 3-4

Have a wonderful spring day- 

there is no green to be seen here yet---

but I have the promise 

that it will come one day 

(soon-I hope)!!!!

Off to the VA this morning
to spread a little sunshine
and push the old boys around!