French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

3 lbs Vidalia (or yellow) onions, sliced thin
1 stick butter or 8 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp canola oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp white sugar (or Splenda® )
1/2 cup flour
8 cups beef broth
2 tsp thyme leaves (or to taste)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 cup dry white wine or cooking wine

Garnish:

1 loaf French bread, sliced thick
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley or dried parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat butter and oil in large stock pot until hot but not burning.

2. Add onions and cook on low-medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until onions are deep brown, tender and cooked down.

3. Meanwhile, as the onions are cooking, mix the two cheeses together and put equal amounts of the mixture on each slice of bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil or back in a 350 degree oven just until cheese in bubbly. Do not allow it to burn. Set aside.

4. Add garlic and sugar to the onions. Cook an additional 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir, making a roux.

6. Add beef broth 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly on low heat until soup is thickened.

7. Add thyme, bay leaves and pepper and simmer on low for another 30 minutes.

8. Stir frequently. Do not allow the soup to burn.

9. Turn of heat and add the wine and allow to sit for a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

Before serving, place a slice of bread with cheese in the bottom of a bowl or crock and ladle soup over the bread. Sprinkle with parsley.

This recipe serves 10 - 12.
(. . . and, Try as I might, I still cannot figure out how to make this soup in a crock pot.)