I’m starting a new series around here, and I’m calling it blogger Friday. The idea behind this came about because I’m constantly looking at other blogs. One of the best parts of my day is when I sit down with a coffee or tea and peruse through all my favorite blogs and see what ridiculously delicious dishes they’ve come up with that week. I’m always drooling over anything and everything they make, but am usually too busy cooking food for this blog to actually make anything – but that stops now. Every other Friday I’m going to be posting a recipe I’ve made from another blog, and today we start with a recipe from Ashley’s blog Cookie Monster Cooking.

I’ve been a regular follower of Ashley’s for about a year now, and just love everything she comes up with, so a few weeks ago when she posted this Slow Cooker French Onion Soup, I knew I had to make it. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve always loved french onion soup, I’d order it at every restaurant that had it on their menu (still do), and I make it at home every chance I get. I loved it so much, I even begged my parents to buy me those little french onion crocs as Christmas when I was like 10 or 11 – they kept them when I moved out – rude!

The only thing annoying about french onion soup??? If done right, it takes FOREVER to caramelize the onions, and you must babysit it the whole time. In Ashley’s version, the slow-cooker does ALL the work for you—genius!!! I made this on a Sunday when I was doing some blog work, and would just check on it every few hours and give her a quick stir until it was done – easy peasy and so delicious. I was really shocked at how much the slow-cooker aided in depth of flavor; the onions caramelize even better than they do on the stove, because it’s a low and very slow process which gives plenty of time for the onions to properly release their sugars.

Of course we can’t forget an essential part of french onion soup – the cheese. I think when I was a kid that’s what really drew me in, I mean, what kid doesn’t love cheese they can pull all the way up to the ceiling – and if we’re being honest here, what adult doesn’t love cheese they can pull all the way up the ceiling?? I actually didn’t have gruyere on hand this time, so I used provolone which worked equally as well, but it didn’t have that nutty flavor gruyere has, so next time I’ll make sure to have it.

Head on over to Cookie Monster Cooking to get the recipe! Thanks Ashley!