Instructions:

Union House Restaurant French Onion Soup

3 to 4 pounds Spanish onions, peeled, sliced fine with the grain
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 gallon beef stock (may substitute good-quality paste beef base and 1 gallon water)
Salt to taste (omit if using beef base)
Pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 cup dry sherry, optional (see note)
Slices of crusty Italian bread 1/4 inch thick (pieces should be as large as the opening in your serving dishes)
Melted butter
Garlic powder to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Slices of Swiss or Gruyere cheese (cut 1/4-inch thick and just slightly larger than your serving dishes so cheese rests on rim and seals crouton)
Shredded cheese (use equal amounts of sharp Cheddar and Monterey jack)