Description
This French Onion Mac and Cheese is a gourmet twist on a classic comfort food. It features creamy, cheesy sauce with caramelized onions, topped with toasted garlic bread and Gruyère cheese for a truly decadent dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (12 slices total)
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 1 pound dry jumbo elbow macaroni
- 5 tablespoons salted butter, divided, plus extra for greasing the dish
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups sweet onions, julienned
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 can (12 ounce) evaporated milk
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 7 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 7 ounces aged cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Toast bread: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Toast baguette slices for 5 minutes. Rub with garlic cloves and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until barely al dente. Drain and cover with a clean, moist towel.
- Caramelize onions: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes, until deeply caramelized.
- Add flavor: Stir in bay leaf, thyme, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and Dijon mustard. Deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar.
- Make sauce: Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter to the skillet. Whisk in flour, then gradually add evaporated milk and whole milk, stirring constantly. Simmer until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add cheese: Gradually add Gruyère and cheddar cheese to the sauce, stirring until melted and smooth.
- Assemble and bake: Transfer macaroni to a buttered casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and toss to coat. Top with crispy fried onions and toasted baguette slices. Sprinkle with remaining Gruyère cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve: Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Covering the cooked pasta with a damp towel helps keep it moist without using extra oil.
- For a richer flavor, use a combination of different cheeses.
- If you don’t have Gruyère cheese, you can substitute with Swiss cheese or Fontina cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 570kcal
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 960mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
