Beefy French Onion Soup

Just to remind everyone that we're still here, I guess.

In the new year, we're switching to a new blogging application so you'll each be invited to the new one with new login info, but in the meantime... we're still here.

7 small onions, cut in 1/2" slices
1 Tbsp butter, melted (I used way more)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 lb beef stew meat
31 1/2 oz condensed beef consommé (otherwise known as 3 cans)
1/4 c dry sherry or apple juice (I used juice)
1 c apple juice
1/4 tsp dried thyme
8 slices 1/2" thick bread (I toasted)
2 c shredded Swiss (mozzarella ws in crock pot. Top with bay leaf and beef (you don't have to brown it and it's better if you don't) and cook on low for 9-10 hours.

Stir in consommé, juice and thyme and cook on high for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and ladle into oven proof bowls, top with toast and cheese. Broil at 6" for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly brown (or you can take a blow torch to it like I did).

I know that it's not traditional to put the beef into this dish and the apple juice seemed really questionable but this soup is good enough to have made it into my recipe box on an index card (and you should see how dirty it is *wink, wink*).

K,J