French Onion Stuffing

This savory bread pudding is loaded with caramelized onions and Gruyère cheese chunks that melt into the stuffing. Serve this instead of mashed potatoes the next time you make a roast beef. It tastes something like the best bowl of French onion soup.

Ingredients

• 8 cups stale white bread cubes with crusts removed
• 2 cups Gruyère cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 8 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, mashed
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions. Combine the bread and cheese in the slow cooker.

heat the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts and the foam subsides. Add the onions, stir to coat with the butter, and cook until they begin to turn translucent. 

Sprinkle with the sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions become golden. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool.

whisk together the eggs, cream, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and parsley, in a large bowl, and stir in the cooled onions. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and cheese and press down on the bread to saturate it. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the stuffing is puffed and registers 185°F on an instant-read thermometer. Uncover and allow to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8