Lazy Caramelized onions

We all love French Onion Soup or as the French call it "Onion Soup."  Making the caramelized onions is the most time consuming part and it is quite labour intensive since you have to stand there the whole time and it always takes longer then the recipe states, always.  You can not make decent caramelized onions in 20 minutes it always takes 45-90 minutes depending on the quantity.

I have come up with the perfect solution to this problem.  I don't like standing stirring for and hour but I will happily let them cook for 6-8 hours in the slow cooker.

A lazy girls best friend, the Crock-pot.

There are so many wonderful things that can be made with Caramelized onions.  I would like to state here that I know that caramelized onions are not actually caramelized, they are browned in a Maillard Reaction, but that is the common name for these things and they are delicious, so there.

On tonight's menu is:

Caramelized Onion Tart with Goat Cheese and Thyme

and

French Onion Soups

Crock-Pot Caramelized Onions

3 lbs Onions, thinly sliced (A mandoline is you friend for this, but you can do it with a knife as well)

2-3 tbsp melted Butter or Olive Oil

2-3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar,optional ( I use white balsamic vinegar because I am allergic to red)

1-2 tbsp Brown Sugar, optional

Salt and pepper to taste

6-8 hours in the slow cooker.

Notes: you may want to try this on a day you are home since all crockpots cook a little differently.  I like to stir mine a bout 30 minutes into cooking and near the end so everything cooks nice and brown.

These can be used for all your caramelized onion needs and they freeze really well, so if you have extra you can save it up for another project later.