Thick country style crusty bread

Good melting cheese, muenster/provolone, emmanthaler, gruyere, taleggio. Whatever floats your boat.

How to make it

Using one tablespoon of butter, rub the inside of your crock pot insert.

Thinly slice all the onions and fill the insert to the top. Get more onions if you have too, you want it filled but not packed to the gills.

Dot the top with the minced garlic, bay leaf, fresh thyme, black pepper, sugar and nutmeg and remaining butter.

Pour vermouth or brandy over the top.

Cover and turn on low for 4 hours.

The onions will wilt down considerably and the house will smell heavenly.

Add the broth and the cheese. Leave on low for a few hours more

Fish out bay leaf and thyme stems.

Ladle into sterilized jars and seal to cool down.

This is highy concentrated onion soup and a great gift.

I usually add 1 cup of water to each jar of concentrate (I include instructions for each gift basket) and reheat. You can choose to top the soup with bread and broil the cheese to melt it. Even easier for me, I make a great cheese toast and serve it on the side of a steaming bowl of soup for our guests to tear and dip as they please. Bread on top and bowls under broiler is fraught with danger to me. I'm certain to spill and make a mess. I feel a little safer just ladling soup and serving the cheesy toast on the side. NO mouth burns either, another plus.