Good News- Bad News: Recipe Testers Club #105

Good News Bad News: Recipe Testers Club #105: It's raining cats and dogs. It's chilly. Its a perfect day to make warm and bubbly onion soup. The good news is: this recipe makes rich and delicious soup, that's easy and relatively quick to make. The bad news is: since our refrigerator's ice and water connection broke and flooded 2/3 of our house, I can't seem to find my pots and pans to make this wonderful soup! We had to move the base cabinets in our kitchen to replace the maple flooring- Thanks Lee! SO, I had to pack up my kitchen, pots and all, to make the move possible. Since then we've been working out of a tiny tote of kitchen essentials and two pots... neither of which will do for a big pot of soup. I hope you find the time to make this for friends and family- Let me know how it went! I'll live vicariously through you until my kitchen is back together! Yay for Onion Soup!

Maine French Onion Soup with Canadian Bacon

French onion soup is wonderful topped with slivers of Canadian bacon, shredded cheese, and artisinal bread. When you use crusty slices of Borealis Bread and State of Maine Cheese Company’s Saint Croix Black Pepper Jack cheese, you’ve got a doubly delicious combination.

Serves 6

3 T butter

1 T olive oil

6 medium onions, sliced in half then thinly sliced

2 T fresh minced garlic

3 T Maine maple syrup

1 c marsala wine

1⁄2 t freshly ground white pepper

3 c chicken stock

3 c beef broth

1 T chicken bouillon paste or powder

1 T beef bouillon paste or powder

12 slices Canadian bacon, cut into slivers or chopped

8 slices artisanal bread, toasted

1 c grated Gruyère cheese (or more)

1⁄2 c grated Parmesan (or more)

1⁄2 c grated black pepper Jack cheese (or more)

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic, and maple syrup. Cook, stirring often, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the onion is caramel brown.

Deglaze the pan: Add the marsala and scrape up all the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the pepper, stock, broth, and chicken and beef bouillon. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with a layer of Canadian bacon, a slice of toast, and the grated cheeses. Broil until the cheeses melt and bubble.