French Onion Soup & Grilled Cheese

One of my favorite soups is a French Onion. There are many different recipes for it and it’s frequently served with a browned cheese topping.  My family, we like to eat it with grilled cheese sandwiches. One of the first meals that my daughter, Bailey, helped me to prepare was French Onion Soup and Grilled Cheese for her Grandma’s birthday.

French Onion Soup

*5 onions, roughly chopped
*2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
*1 Tablespoon olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, finely diced
*8 cups stock, can be beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
*1 Bay leaf
*Black pepper

1. In a deep pan or stockpot, saute onion in butter and olive oil, over medium heat, until browned. They should be well-browned, but not burned.
2. Add garlic, saute lightly.
3. Add stock and Bay leaf.
4. Cover pot and simmer for 40 minutes.
5. Add pepper to taste.

Bay’s Grilled Cheese

For each sandwich:

*2 slices sourdough french bread
*enough cheese to cover 1 slice of bread, we like Smoked Gouda
*1 Tablespoon butter

1. Spread butter on one side of both slices of bread.
2. Lay one slice of buttered bread, buttered side down, in a medium hot pan.
3. Lay cheese on top of bread.
4. Cover with another piece of bread, buttered side up.
5. After about 3 minutes, check bottom slice of bread. If it’s browned, then carefully, flip sandwich over to brown the top slice of bread.
6. Serve with French Onion soup – it’s perfect for dipping.

Image credit: Sxc.hu