Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup

Applebee's Baked French Onion Soup
Yield: 10 Servings
3 T vegetable oil
6 md white onions,sliced
8 c beef broth,(Swanson is
-best)
1 c water
2 1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t black pepper,Ground
5 plain hamburger buns
10 sl provolone cheese
10 t parmesan cheese,Shredded
1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over
medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 20 minutes until the
onions begin to soften and start to become translucent. You don't want them to
brown.
2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to
the pan and bring mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat
and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so
that the bread is the same thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the
tops away. Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread -- 5 bottom buns, and
5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in
the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is
golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.
4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a
crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the
crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the
provolone.
5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5
to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may
need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time).
Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top
of the soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.
Makes 10 servings.