French Onion Soup Casserole

Ingredients

• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 5 medium-size Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 3 lb.)
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (16-oz.) baguette, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• ½ cup dry sherry
• 8 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spread the thinly sliced baguette in a single layer across a baking sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes until the bread is lightly toasted, then set it aside.
2. 2Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the sliced onions, salt, pepper, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, and bay leaves. Cook for about an hour, stirring often, until the onions turn golden brown. Once caramelized, discard the herb sprigs and bay leaves. Stir the flour into the onions and cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
3. 3Pour in the beef broth and dry sherry. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Continue boiling and stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly.
4. 4Arrange half of the toasted baguette slices in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Spoon the thickened onion mixture evenly over the bread layer. Cover the onions with the remaining toasted baguette slices.
5. 5Scatter the shredded Gruyere cheese over the top layer of bread. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Change the oven setting to broil, remove the foil, and broil for about 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
6. 6Garnish the hot casserole with fresh thyme leaves before serving.

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