Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons TAO Olive Oil (e.g. Extra Virgin or Roasted Onion)
4 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 bundle of fresh thyme sprigs, tied in kitchen twine
2 bay leaves
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup sherry wine
2 ½ cups beef stock
1 (1 1/4 pound) loaf of French bread
2 eggs
12 ounces of gruyere cheese, shredded. We used Karst gruyere cheddar blend
Directions
Begin by preparing your ingredients. Peel and slice 2 large onions, and chop 2 cloves of garlic.
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pot.
Once the butter has melted, add the sliced onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped thyme, and 2 bay leaves to the pot.
Season the mixture with a generous pinch of salt and cracked black pepper, and stir well.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions start to soften and become translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking the onions until they are soft and golden, about 40 minutes, stirring often.
Add the chopped garlic to the pot and cook for another minute or so until fragrant.
Pour in 1/2 cup of sherry wine and simmer for a couple of minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off.
Add 4 cups of beef stock to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13” baking dish with a little olive oil.
Cut a loaf of bread into quarters and then tear each quarter into bite-size pieces.
Beat 4 large eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Retrieve about 2 cups of the onion/stock mixture from the pot and whisk it into the eggs.
Add the torn bread and 4 ounces of grated gruyère cheese to the mixing bowl, then toss gently to fully coat the bread.
Transfer the bread mixture to the greased baking dish.
Pour the remaining onion/stock mixture evenly over the top of the bread mixture.
Bake the stuffing, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the bread is crispy.
Turn the oven to broil on high.
Top the stuffing with the remaining 8 ounces of grated gruyère cheese.
Transfer the stuffing back to the oven and let the cheese brown for about 1-2 minutes, or until golden (watch closely so it doesn’t burn).
Once the cheese is golden and bubbly, remove the stuffing from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
Serve the stuffing warm, garnished with extra fresh thyme leaves and cracked black pepper, if desired.
Adapted from Kayla’s The Original Dish blog