Recipe: French onion mac ‘n’ cheese

We often sing the praises of mac ’n’ cheese, and even in these difficult times, isn’t it still one of the ultimate comfort food dishes? Sitting on the sofa with your legs tucked up, a huge glass of wine within reach, the lights on, while you eat that deliciously stringy, warm macaroni and cheese straight from the baking dish and let the pasta work its comforting magic… And in this case, with an incredible umami addition too:

Mac ’n’ cheese variations—we can never collect enough of them, and when we came across this one, we immediately saw how well that French onion twist could work. Not that those onions ultimately end up in the familiar soup, but the unparalleled deliciousness of very slowly cooked and caramelized onions, creating incredible depth and flavor—that’s what our standard version was still missing. Take your time with the onions (because you may have it now); that’s how you’ll get the tastiest result.

How to make French onion mac ’n’ cheese

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Grease the ramekins with butter. (If you don’t have small dishes, simply use one larger baking dish.)
• Heat 50 grams of butter in a sauté pan (or deep frying pan) with a heavy base over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions and a teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are dark golden brown.
• This takes about 30 minutes on average. Feel free to enjoy a glass of wine alongside it.
• Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente, following the instructions on the package. Drain.
• Place a large pan (large enough to hold the cooked pasta later) over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter.
• Add the flour and whisk; cook for 1 minute.
• Gradually add the milk while stirring, and mix until smooth.
• Bring to a boil and reduce the heat slightly (but not to the lowest setting).
• Simmer for about 6 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the Fontina and Cheddar, and half of the Gruyère.
• Stir until all the cheese has melted, then turn off the heat.
• Stir in the pasta, onions, mustard, cayenne pepper and thyme (reserve a few leaves), and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the mixture among the ramekins and sprinkle the remaining Gruyère over the top.
• Place the dishes on a baking sheet.
• Place in the oven and bake until the cheese starts bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes.
• Turn on the grill briefly (about 2 minutes), until the cheese on top starts to turn golden brown.
• Sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves over the top and serve.

Also read:

• Your new favorite party snack: Käsespätzle
• 8x more cheese in your life
• 5 vegetarian dishes in 15 minutes

Source + image: Delish