Grilled French Onion Soup Or Not Food

AMERICAN FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large, oven-safe skillet on medium heat. Stir in onions until they are all coated in butter. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook onions, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and well browned, about 1 hour.
• Transfer skillet to the stovetop; cook and stir onions over medium heat until they start to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour sherry and vinegar into the pan, and bring to a boil while scraping browned bits of onion off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
• Place caramelized onions in a large soup pot. Pour in chicken broth, beef broth, and thyme. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam and fat that appear on top. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
• Generously brush French bread slices with melted butter. Place on a baking sheet and broil in the preheated oven until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Ladle soup into heat-proof bowls, top each bowl with a piece of toasted bread, sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
• Broil bowls of soup under the broiler until cheese is golden and bubbly, 5 to 6 minutes.

RESTAURANT-STYLE FRENCH ONION SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onions, garlic, salt, black pepper, and thyme until onions are soft and brown, about 30 minutes. Pour in red wine and sherry; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until you can no longer smell alcohol cooking off, about 15 more minutes.
• Sprinkle onion mixture with flour and stir until coated; cook for 10 minutes. Pour in broth, stir to blend in flour, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) while soup is simmering. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
• Toast the baguette slices in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes, turning the bread over halfway through cooking. Remove toast and set aside.
• Set an oven rack about 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the oven's broiler.
• Ladle soup into 6 oven-proof crocks, filling them about 3/4 full. Place 1 or 2 bread slices into the bowls and top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of provolone. Carefully place filled crocks onto a sturdy baking sheet.
• Broil soup until the cheese is browned and bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.

GRILLED FRENCH ONION SOUP OR NOT

Steps:

• Trim and peel onion leaving a small amount on the root end.
• Core the center then slice almost all the way thru (looks like a bloomin onion from outback steakhouse).
• Place 1 tsp butter and 1 boullion in hollow core.
• Place in sheet of heavy duty foil and form bowl with the onion.
• Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce, wine and spices. Use more or less to your tastes.
• Close up foil and place on medium heat grill for about 1 hour.
• Remove from grill.
• Open carefully and add cheese and croutons.
• Note #1: You can add water/broth to make this more soup-like.
• Note #2: I use a beef base or low sodium boullion as this can get salty with the boullion, croutons and the cheese.

FRENCH ONION SOUP GRILLED CHEESE

Steps:

• Over a medium-high flame, heat the oil and add the onions. Cook them slowly (make sure the heat is high enough that they don't steam) and allow them to gently caramelize, about 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and the butter at the end to season.
• Assemble the sandwich. On a slice of rye, layer cheese, onions, and a second layer of cheese. Cover with the second slice of rye. Place on a panini grill and press. Sandwich is ready when the cheese has melted.