Baked French Onion Soup

Tonight I found a copycat recipe for Applebee’s French onion soup (which is my favorite dish there)! I also got super excited because I finally found a recipe that was perfect for my cute little miniature pots I bought from France. Oh my gosh, it was to die for! It was the perfect recipe for such a cold, snowy day :) I changed it up a bit to fit my ingredients. I’ve got to send out a warning, though… put the onions in the refrigerator and peel them under cold water before you take them on. My husband walked in the door while I was chopping them and was like, “What’s the matter, sweetie?!” Lol. It was awful. My eyes are still puffy from all the crying =P I can definitely tell this one is a keeper by the “mmm’s” and “oh man’s” that followed every bite my husband made J Enjoy!

Baked French Onion Soup

4 Tbs. butter
6 medium white onions, sliced
8 c. beef broth (Swanson is best—so good!)
1 c. water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
A thick loaf of bread
Tons of mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced  

1. Melt butter in stock pot and sauté the onions for about 20 minutes until they begin to get soft and translucent. Don’t brown them!

 2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes (we took ours off a little sooner because we were starving!)
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and slice the bread into thick slices. Place on the oven rack to get toasty brown and crispy on both sides, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and set aside.
4. When the soup is finished simmering (or you start drooling all over the kitchen), spoon soup into an oven-safe bowl. Turn your oven on broil. Top with a slice of bread and the amount of cheese that makes you happy. For us, that is way too much ;)
5. Pop your soup bowls in the oven until the top gets nice and brown. Take them out and enjoy!!