Mother Guilt Onion Soup For A Crowd

Yesterday I was singing the praises that Carter was at the state affair horse show without me or my cooking. Carter had proudly told me that she had not signed me up to do any cooking and I was very grateful for that. Then I woke up this morning and had terrible guilt that she was partaking of the hospitality of others. I texted her to check in this morning and asked her if they could use some food tomorrow and she quickly wrote back that hot food T lunch would be welcomed since they had nothing new planned.  
“How about French onion soup?” I texted back. I got an enthusiastic thumbs up.
I know that onion soup is not your first thought for what is basically a tail gate, but it actually works great if you make the toasted French bread with melted cheese at home and bring the soup in a crock pot. When you serve it you just put the cheese bread in a bowl and spoon hot soup on top which will heat the cheese up enough to enjoy it.
This recipe is enough to feed 20 people
12 Giant sweet onions sliced in 1/4 slices

4 T. Butter

6 cloves of garlic minced

32 oz. beef stock

64 oz. chicken stock

Big handful fresh thyme- tied with kitchen twine in a bundle

4 bay leaves

16 oz. vermouth

2 T. Apple cider vinegar

2 T. Brown sugar

Salt and pepper
French bread cut in 1 inch rounds

12 oz. Gruyere cheese
In a giant skillet put one tablespoon of butter on high heat and add one quarter of the onion. Cook, stirring often until brown. When browned dump them into a huge stock pot and repeat browning onions, add the garlic to the last batch when it is half way browned.
Once onions are done add the stock, vermouth, thyme and bay leaves and bring the pot up to a simmer and cook with a lid on for half and hour. Add the vinegar and sugar and taste for seasoning.
The soup is best if it can sit for a while so that the onion flavors develop, but it can be served right now.
Lightly toast the French bread. Lay the bread out on a cookie sheet. Cover the toasted bread with cheese and put under the broiler just until it is melted.
Put the toast in a bowl and spoon soup over it.