Recipe #2: Homemade French Onion Soup

This recipe is my own modification from one I found in a Rachel Ray book. It's fantastic, and reheats well. Even my husband, who doesn't like raw onions, LOVES this soup.

Feeds 8-12

1 baguette, ends trimmed sliced at a diagonal (or a loaf of sourdough bread, in slices that would fit in your bowls)
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) real butter (I like the no salt added kind)
5 large yellow onions (or 3 of the huge ones) peeled, halved, and thinly sliced into strips
1/2 tbsp ground thyme
8 cups beef broth
5 cups chicken broth
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (at least... based on how much you like cheese!)

Lightly toast bread/baguette on both sides in the broiler, set aside for later. Melt butter in large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add thyme and onions and cook until caramel brown in color (onions will also be slightly transparent), stirring frequently to prevent burning the sugars that are cooking out of the onions. Add broths and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup into oven safe crocks or deep bowls. Float toast on top and sprinkle generously with mozzarella. Put bowls on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven on broil until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Carefully remove and put bowls on cool underliners/plates. The bowls and soup will be VERY HOT, so be careful. Serve and enjoy.

**Tip for quick leftovers: Heat the soup first for 2-3 minutes in the microwave (until mostly hot- if you try to do it with the bread already on it, it takes forever to get hot enough). Toast some sourdough or french bread in the toaster, place it in the soup, and throw some cheese on it in the microwave for another minute. Not as fabulous as when it's prepared the "long way", but good for a quick lunch!