The World'S Best French Onion Soup
["2 Tbsp. butter", "2 1/2 lb. onions, thinly sliced", "4 (14 1/2 oz.) cans beef broth, divided", "1 bay leaf", "1 sprig fresh parsley", "1 large sprig fresh thyme", "2 Tbsp. Madeira or sherry", "salt and freshly ground pepper", "8 (3/4-inch thick) slices French bread", "2 c. grated Gruyere cheese"]
["Heat oven to 400\u00b0. On stove top, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and stir often until softened and golden brown, about 35 minutes. Increase heat to high and pour in 1/2 broth, stirring until most of the broth has evaporated and onions are browning again. Continue until you have used up 2 cups of the broth. Wrap bay leaf, parsley and thyme in cheesecloth. Add to soup; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Season with Madeira and salt and pepper to taste. Toast bread in oven on a cookie sheet 5 minutes. Divide the soup among 8 ovenproof bowls. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese over each, then top with bread and 2 tablespoons more cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and bake until the cheese bubbles, 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings."]
["butter", "onions", "beef broth", "bay leaf", "parsley", "thyme", "Madeira", "salt", "bread", "Gruyere cheese"]