Growing up in Panama City, we used to eat at a restaurant called The Cheese Barn and they served one of my favorite dishes, their French Onion Soup. I had a bit of nostalgia a few weekends ago, so I started hunting for a recipe to satisfy my craving. If you have time one weekend, I recommend you try out Betty Crocker’s Golden Onion Soup. It takes a little over 3 hours but the majority of that time is spent cooking the onions in the oven so you won’t be in the kitchen all day.
I made a few subtle changes to the dish merely because I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed. Instead of making the Parmesan Croutons, I cubed up some Asiago Cheese Bread from Panera Bread. You could also use Parmesan croutons, like those you put on a salad. I only had one can of condensed beef broth so I improvised; using water and beef bullion cubes. Once the soup was complete, I poured portions for Adam and me into two ovenproof bowls. I added the cubed bread and sprinkled 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top. I then broiled the bowls of soups in the oven for about 2 minutes until the cheese was melted and golden brown. Be sure to put the bowls on a sheet pan as it is easier to get them in and out of the oven and the pan will catch anything you spill.
Tags: Asiago, Betty Crocker, Cheese Barn, French Onion Soup, Mozarella, Onion, Panera, Soup