Fantastic French Onion Soup

I've been making this for years, it is a slightly modified Food Network recipe.  I always make a big pot of soup and keep a baggie of shredded Swiss cheese so whenever I want a bowl I can just reheat the soup, make a fresh piece of toast, sprinkle with cheese, and pop in broiler for a couple minutes.  And it is better than almost all I've had from restaurants.

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter
Olive oil
About 6 onions, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
1/2 cup cooking sherry (old recipe called for brandy, which I never have)
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
6 cups beef broth
Salt & pepper
Bread slices of your choice, I use white, toasted and cubed
Shredded Swiss cheese

Heat (medium) butter and swirl of olive oil in a soup pot, add onions and cook 30-40 minutes until caramelized, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as necessary.  Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add cooking sherry, stir and cook until some evaporates.  Sprinkle flour over onions, stir and cook 3 minutes.  Then stir in beef broth, bring to boil, then lower heat and cover, simmer for about 20 minutes.  Season with salt and cracked pepper to your liking.

This is a good time to make a slice of toast for each serving bowl, cut into cubes and shred cheese.

Ladle soup into oven/broiler safe bowl, top with toast cubes, then shredded cheese.  Heat under broiler (I use 450 degrees) until cheese reaches the toastiness of your liking.  Be VERY careful getting the hot bowl out of the oven.  Let cool a few minutes and serve.  Yummo!!  Note:  If you don't have a bowl that you know is safe, lower the broiler temperature significantly and heat until cheese is melted.  Or put just the shredded cheese on oven dish or aluminum foil, toast it and transfer it to the bowl afterwards.