Recipe: French Onion Soup with Sage-Gruyere Sourdough Grilled Cheese

You're a family of movie buffs, and your annual Oscar party is widely recognized as the neighborhood party of the year. So, why not light the fireplace, don your favorite Christmas sweater and transform your living room into a cozy festival of your favorite holiday movies (starting with "It's a Wonderful Life," natch) complete with comfort food, including this French Onion Soup with Sage-Gruyere Sourdough Grilled Cheese. —

French Onion Soup with Sage-Gruyere Sourdough Grilled Cheese

Makes 1 gallon soup and 10 sandwiches

Soup:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

8 onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 bay leaves

4 fresh thyme sprigs

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ounce sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup flour

2 cups red wine

2 quarts beef stock

2 quarts chicken stock

Sandwiches:

1 baguette, cut on long bias into 20 slices

4 ounces melted butter

10 slices Gruyere

10 sage leaves

To make soup, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay, thyme, tomato paste, sherry vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes.

Add the wine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Dust the onions with the flour, then give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, being careful not to burn the flour.

Add the two broths, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.

To make the sandwiches, coat the baguette slices with butter. Place a slice of Gruyere and a sage leaf between two slices of bread to form each sandwich. Griddle on both sides. Place in soup to serve.

– Barbara Llewellyn Catering & Event Planning