Oui, French onion is one of our all-time favorite soups. But we’ve never attempted to make it at home, mainly because we’d have to stand over the stove for hours to achieve that deep, caramelized onion broth. Enter slow-cooker French onion soup, which cooks for hours on its own—no...

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 sweet onions (such as Vidalia), thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups beef broth

¼ cup brandy

1 dried bay leaf

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

? baguette, sliced into ¼-inch pieces

1½ cups shredded Gruy�re cheese

Chopped fresh chives, for serving

1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and saut� until tender and beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the onions are golden and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the garlic. 2. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl of a slow cooker and add the broth, brandy, bay leaf and thyme. Turn the slow cooker on low and cook until the soup has good flavor, 6� to 7 hours. 3. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Preheat the broiler on your oven. 4. Ladle the soup into oven-safe bowls and place 2 slices of baguette on top of each. Mound � cup of Gruy�re on top of the baguette. Broil the soup until the cheese is melted and well-browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with chives.