Best French Onion Soup (Kid Friendly)

emtrobstu's Note:

This is a classic french onion soup with a twist. instead of broiling bread with cheese on top you accompany this delicious soup with a rustic grilled cheese sandwich which the kids will be sure to enjoy. You can also make it the traditional way with the bread and cheese on top. If you do not have oven safe bowls just place the bread and cheese on a broiling rack and broil separately. I use yellow onions but sweet onions are the preferred onion to use, better yet if you can find them, walla walla onions.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 cups sweet onions or 4 cups walla walla onions, quartered then thinly sliced
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (either sweet or half-sharp depending on preference)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1 loaf French bread, sliced into one inch slices
• butter (if making grilled cheese sandwich)
• cheddar cheese or gruyere cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter over low heat in a pot, then add onions, sugar and pepper and cover. Let onions caramelize for about 20 minutes (15 if halving the recipe) stirring often to prevent burning. You want to make sure all the onions turn a golden brown.
2. After onions are caramelized, add the broth, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, wine, Worcestershire sauce and flour. Mix together, turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
3. Once a boil has been reached reduce heat to simmer the soup covered for about 20 minutes.
4. If you will be serving this dish in a classic manner, place one slice of french bread topped with cheese on top of soup ladled into oven proof bowls and broil until the cheese is bubbly, serve immediately. Alternatively, if you do not have oven proof bowls you can broil the bread on a broiling pan and place the toast into the bowls after broiling allowing a couple of minutes for the toast to soak up some of the soup.
5. If you want to serve this to kids, you can make grilled cheese sandwiches with the sliced bread and cheese and let them dip the sandwiches into the soup. Just butter two slices of bread and place cheese between the two slices on un-buttered sides and place in hot pan, turning to brown the bread and melt the cheese within. Do this during the last 10 minutes of the soup simmering to have hot soup and sandwiches ready together.