French Onion Mac Cheese Food

FRENCH ONION BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the thyme, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and bouillon cube and stir to dissolve the bouillon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar and 2 cups of the Gruyere until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with the melted butter. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Top with the onion mixture in an even layer, then cover with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere.
• Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 20 minutes. Top with the French fried onions and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chives before serving.

FRENCH ONION "SOUP" MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Topping: Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
• Bechamel Sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir constantly, for about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and whisk in the milk or half-and-half, adding a little at a time and cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat, season with the salt and pepper and add Gruyere and mozzarella cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.
• French Onion "Soup:" Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add onions, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove cover, add garlic and honey, and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Remove pot from heat and add sherry. Return to heat and stir to remove browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce sherry by half, then add stock and thyme and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.
• Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with the last tablespoon of butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cooked pasta with onion "soup" mixture and bechamel sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer pasta to baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan topping.
• Bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you're planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish instead of a skillet, butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
• Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. (You will need to do this several times.)
• While the onions are cooking, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each baguette slice with garlic.
• When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
• Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
• Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up. Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

NICOLE'S FRENCH ONION MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
• Add thyme, Worcestershire, and sherry and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove onions from the pan and set aside. Reserve skillet.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 teaspoons salt. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.
• Place the reserved skillet over medium heat and add remaining butter. When butter has melted, whisk in flour and cook, stirring often, 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring often. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar and 1 cup Swiss cheese and remove from heat.
• Stir in reserved onions and pasta and pour mixture into the buttered baking dish. Tear bread slices in half and place over the top of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add half of the onions and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Top with the remaining onions and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few more grinds of pepper. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid evaporates the onions are very soft and just begin to turn golden, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Add the white wine, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, about 6 minutes. Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup water, bring to a high simmer and cook until the soup has reduced to 5 cups, 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Remove the bay leaves and thyme. Either keep warm on a low burner or cool completely, refrigerate and reheat later. (The soup can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance or frozen for up to 1 month).
• For the mac 'n' cheese: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and reserved pasta water and stir until thick, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup each of the cheeses, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; stir until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta until coated. Let cool slightly, stirring frequently.
• Preheat the oven to broil. Place the soup crocks on a rimmed baking sheet and divide the hot soup among the crocks, filling about three-quarters of the way. Top each with a quarter of the mac 'n' cheese (some will sink into the soup, which is fine). Evenly sprinkle with the remaining cheeses and the panko. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes (the soup will bubble and some may spill out). Serve hot.

FRENCH ONION MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions, thyme, and bay leaf in the butter for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in beef broth and milk and bring to a boil; season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Gruyere cheese until melted.
• Drain macaroni and toss with onion and sauce until well combined.

FRENCH ONION MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add the onions, half of the thyme leaves, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.
• Stir in the flour until completely combined, then turn the heat up to medium high and deglaze the pan with the sherry. Simmer until the sherry is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2-3 minutes, then stir in the beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer, then stir in the elbow macaroni. Cook according to package directions for al dente, about 5-6 minutes.
• When macaroni is cooked, stir in 1 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, 1 cup Colby jack cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Fold the cheeses into the pasta to melt, then add remaining thyme, sage, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
• Divide the mac and cheese into 6-8 ounce crocks. Top each with 1/4 cup toasted panko and remaining 1 cup gruyere, 1 cup Colby Jack and 1 cup mozzarella.
• Preheat oven to broil. Place the crocks on a baking sheet and brown the Mac and Cheese until the cheese is melted and the browning in spots, about 3-4 minutes.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium high heat and cook onions, thyme, and bay leaf in butter for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper, lower heat and cook until onions are browned, about 10 to 15 minutes, transfer to a plate, discard bay leaf.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente; drain and return to pot.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat.
• Whisk in flour for about a minute, then whisk in chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil.
• Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, lower heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in cheese to melt.
• Combine onions and cheese sauce with pasta and toss.