Main Dishesbellyfull5.0
French Onion Mac and Cheese
This French Onion Mac and Cheese recipe combines two comfort food favorites by adding caramelized onions, seasonings, and Gruyère to classic baked macaroni!
👥 12 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 1h 30m⏳ Prep: 15 min🔥 Cook: 1h 15m👤 Jess Rice📖 bellyfull
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- oven
- pot
- pan
- casserole dish
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Slice half a baguette into 1/2 inch slices and lightly toast in oven for ⏱️ 5 minutes. Remove from oven and rub with 4 garlic cloves. Set aside.
garlic (, peeled and left whole)4 clovesgarlic powder1 teaspoon(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 can
2
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once ready, add 1 pound of jumbo elbow macaroni, cooking until barely al dente, about ⏱️ 7-8 minutes. Once your macaroni is cooked to barely al dente, strain and cover with a clean, moist towel (*see note.)
dry jumbo elbow macaroni1 pound(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 can
3
In a sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of salted butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
salted butter (, divided + extra for greasing your casserole dish)5 tablespoonssalt (, divided)2 teaspoons(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 canolive oil2 tablespoons
4
Once the butter has melted, add 4 cups of julienned onions and 1 teaspoon salt.
salted butter (, divided + extra for greasing your casserole dish)5 tablespoonssalt (, divided)2 teaspoons(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 can
5
Turn the heat up to medium-high and toss the onions to fully coat them in the butter. To the onions, add 1 teaspoon salt, 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, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Stir to combine.
salted butter (, divided + extra for greasing your casserole dish)5 tablespoonssalt (, divided)2 teaspoons(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 canbay leaf1teaspoon dried thyme1/2teaspoon dried parsley1/2teaspoon paprika1/2garlic (, peeled and left whole)4 clovesgarlic powder1 teaspoononion powder1 teaspoonDijon mustard1 teaspoon
6
Then, stir every ⏱️ 2-3 minutes for about ⏱️ 30-45 minutes total until the onions have fully caramelized, turning a deep golden brown color.
7
Then, deglaze the pan with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, scraping up any delicious crispy bits of onion from the bottom of the pan.
balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 can
8
Turn heat down to medium and add 3 more tablespoons of salted butter to the pan. Once melted, add 1 tablespoon at a time of flour, stirring constantly.
salted butter (, divided + extra for greasing your casserole dish)5 tablespoonssalt (, divided)2 teaspoons(12 ounce) evaporated milk1 canflour3 tablespoons
9
Pour a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk and 2 & 1/2 cups of room temperature whole milk into the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring often until it becomes noticeably thicker, about ⏱️ 4-5 minutes. If needed, bump the heat up just a smidge.
10
Add 1 cup of shredded Gruyère and 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, little by little, stirring to combine and only adding the next cheese until the cup before has fully melted.
11
Transfer par-cooked macaroni to a buttered large 3 quart casserole dish (I used a 9x13” casserole dish) and pour the finished cheese sauce over the macaroni, tossing it gently to make sure every piece of macaroni is covered in the cheese sauce.
12
Sprinkle the top of your macaroni with 1/4 cup of crispy fried onions.
13
Place the toasted baguette slices on top of the macaroni and cheese (each serving will have 1 slice of bread on top.)
14
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded Gruyère on top of the toasted baguette slices.
15
Bake in the oven for ⏱️ 15 minutes until the cheese and toasts on top are golden, bubbly, and dark in spots.
16
Let everything cool for ⏱️ 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
calories
454 kcal
fat Content
21 g
serving Size
1 cup
fiber Content
2 g
sugar Content
10 g
sodium Content
789 mg
protein Content
19 g
trans Fat Content
0.2 g
cholesterol Content
55 mg
carbohydrate Content
46 g
saturated Fat Content
11 g
unsaturated Fat Content
7 g
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