It tastes so good you'll forget it made you cry

I am so enjoying the crazy Texas weather. It got down into the 30s earlier this week and the heater got its inaugural run for fall. Does anyone else enjoy the smell of the heater when it turns on for the first time each year? Something about the smell of burning dust on the coils just warms my soul. This may be admitting too much weirdness, but I also enjoy the smell of filling up the tank and a freshly lit match. Not to be enjoyed simultaneously obviously. Another scent I love, a little less peculiar perhaps, is the smell of freshly carved pumpkin.

I pretty much like to smell everything and it occasionally gets me in trouble. Once when Jerry and I were still dating, he accompanied me on a quick run to the drugstore. I was there to pick out some new shampoo and he was just learning my habit of having to smell everything. He was making fun of me as I picked up several different bottles and gave them a little squeeze to get a good whiff. When I squeezed one bottle though, it gave a bit more quickly in my hands and I ended up with shampoo completely up my nose. He smirked and asked me if I had gotten a good enough smell of that one.

Anyway, Halloween is forcasted to be in the 80s here, so I wanted to jump into some cold weather cooking while it lasts. When BooMama mentioned doing a Souptacular / Crockpotalooza today, the first recipe I thought of was for Crockpot French Onion Soup. Onions do not happen to fall in the category of things I enjoy smelling, so I can guarantee you this is the only recipe I make that calls for 3 large onions...thinly sliced, no less. Expect to shed a few tears, ladies.

Crockpot French Onion Soup
(prep time 15 min; cook time 7-9 hours; 8 servings)

Ingredients:
· 3 large onions, thinly sliced
· 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
· 1 Tbsp. olive oil
· 1 tsp. sugar
· 3 Tablespoons flour
· 1/4 tsp. pepper
· 4 (14 oz) cans ready to serve beef broth
· Shredded Mozzarella cheese
· French bread, sliced

Directions:

In 3-4 quart crockpot, combine onions, melted butter, olive oil, and sugar. Cover crockpot and cook onions on high heat for 30-40 minutes or until onions begin to brown around the edges. Stir thoroughly. Sprinkle flour and pepper over the onions; mix well. Let cook for 15 minutes longer on high. Then add beef broth and stir again. Cover crockpot and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours until onions are tender.

Finishing touch:
Top sliced bread with shredded cheese. Place in broiler until cheese melts and bread is browned. Float a piece of toasted cheese bread in each serving.

This is one of my favorite recipes because it truly only dirties your crockpot. It is the only one I've found that doesn't require you to saute the onions in butter first.

Oh and the original recipe mentions that you need to peel the onions. I thought that was a given, but just in case I don't know my audience...please PEEL the onions, folks.

Head back over to BooMama's for other great recipes.