Slow Cooker French Onion Soup

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 pounds large sweet onions, vertically sliced (about 16 cups)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 cups unsalted beef stock (such as Swanson)
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 24 (1/2-ounce) slices whole-grain French bread baguette
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)

1. Place butter, thyme, and bay leaf in the bottom of a 6-quart electric slow cooker. Add onions; sprinkle with sugar. Cover and cook on HIGH for 8 hours.
2. Remove thyme and bay leaf; discard. Add stock, vinegar, salt, and pepper; cook, covered, on HIGH for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat broiler to high.
4. Arrange bread in a single layer on 2 baking sheets; broil 30 seconds on each side or until toasted. Place 1 cup soup in each of 12 (8-ounce) ramekins or ovenproof bowls, or follow freezing instructions. Top each serving with 2 bread slices and about 2 tablespoons cheese. Place 6 ramekins on a jelly-roll pan; broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. Repeat procedure with remaining 6 ramekins, bread slices, and cheese.

unsalted butter, thyme, bay leaf, sweet onions, sugar, unsalted beef stock, red wine vinegar, kosher salt, black pepper, bread, gruyuere cheese

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-french-onion-soup (may not work)