It has been a week! Apologies for missing yesterday’s dinner, sorted, but I think this one is worth the wait! I’ll share more this on sunday but for now let’s get into it.
I tested this so many times, I’m likely part mac and cheese by now. For a project recipe like this I gotta make sure it’s the best it can be.
And ya, fair warning, this dish is a project and so it is a bit of a deviation from my usual recipes. But it’s cold outside, and I wanted something cozy, and while lengthy, the recipe itself is pretty simple. But I love love love the flavors in french onion soup SO much, and well, one simply cannot rush caramelizing onions.
We start with that, which takes about an hour, so I recommend pulling up a chair and catching up on some reading, or real housewives, or whatever you gotta do. You can also prep them a few days in advance if you want to break things up. Once that’s done we get into the cheese sauce which is pretty quick, followed by a final bake for about 30 minutes - fully hands-off, of course. But after it’s all said and done you are heavily rewarded, with absolute pure bliss in a bowl. Like yes, I thoroughly enjoy every dish I make (by the final test at least). But this one was one of those ones that really blew me away. And I hope you are too.
Anyways, since you should probably get started soon, I’ll skip to the recipe now… enjoy!
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours
SERVES: 4-6
Grocery List + Printable version
Chef’s knife
Cutting board (not my exact one but very similar)
Large stainless steel pan
Wooden spoon
Large pot
Whisk
Cheese grater
Baking dish (8x11x2.5 inches or smaller but deeper)
For the caramelized onions
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 lbs yellow onions
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/3 cup apple brandy (I used Apple Jack)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup beef broth
a few drops of Worcestershire
1/4 tsp msg (optional)
For the cheese sauce
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 can evaporated milk (NOT CONDENSED MILK)
1 cup half and half
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 oz gruyere, divided
6 oz sharp white cheddar, divided
6 oz mozzarella, divided
For the rest
340 g cavatappi pasta
3 tbsp salt
1/2 cup panko
Caramelize your onions. Chop onions into thin, uniform slices from root to tip. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large stainless steel pan over medium heat. Once melted add 2 tbsp olive oil. Stir in onions and cook down for 5-7 minutes until softened before adding 1 tsp salt. Continue cooking for about 45 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes, until they start to turn golden, then stir every 2 minutes until they are deeply golden brown. Grate your cheeses and measure out your other ingredients while your onions cook.
Finish your onions. Once caramelized, add 4 cloves minced garlic and 1 tbsp fresh thyme and cook for about 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with 1/3 cup apple brandy and cook for 3 minutes until liquid is gone. Add 1 bay leaf and 1/2 cup beef broth, 2 dashes of Worcestershire and 1/4 tsp of msg and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and add more salt or a splash of balsamic vinegar if needed to balance things out. Remove onions from pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400F and start boiling your pasta water with 3 tbsp salt. Make your cheese sauce. To the same frying pan over medium-high heat (it’s ok if there are remnants from the onions) melt 2 tbsp butter. Once melted, whisk in 2 tbsp flour and whisk well. After about 1 minute the flour should be golden, whisk in 1/2 of your evaporated milk. Once smooth, whisk in the rest. Then whisk in 1 cup of half and half, 1 tbsp dijon and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Bring to a light simmer. Whisk in 1/3 of your cheese. Once melted, whisk in another 1/3 and set the rest aside for topping. Once smooth, add in 1/2 of your caramelized onions and remove from heat until your pasta is cooked.
Cook your pasta, then rewarm your cheese sauce on low heat, just to smooth it out again. Add your pasta into cheese sauce with 1/4 cup pasta water and mix well.
Assemble. Add 1/2 of your pasta to a baking dish, then layer in your remaining caramelized onions. Top with remaining pasta, remaining cheese, and 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs. Bake for 15-20 minutes and finish with a broil until golden (about 3 minutes). Let rest for 5 minutes before digging in.
NOTE I am not listing substitutions on this recipe. The ingredients listed have been carefully tested and balanced and I believe that when you’re investing in a project recipe like this, just do it. There are a couple minor ones listed here below simply due to the fact that they may be hard to find, but otherwise please keep to the recipe.
Does cutting the onions a certain way matter: yes! The fibres of an onion run vertically so when you cut this way, the pieces better retain their structure and release less moisture, which will leave you with a better texture and a sweeter flavor.
Why should I use stainless for the onions: caramelizing onions relies on builidng a fond aka browning. A non stick pan is essentially built to prevent this so it’s going to take you a heck of a lot longer, if ever, to get the deep brown we are looking for.
Can I add more cheese: I tested this many times with many varieties and amounts of cheese. I originally went with a sh*t ton of cheese but it was simply too heavy with the caramelized onions. Less is more here.
Why use evaporated milk: the lower water content will give you a better silky texture with much less chance of curdling. It also lends a beautiful caramel flavor that pairs so well with the french onion flavor.
Can I sub out half and half: I wouldn’t recommend going any lighter in fat content as it increases the risk of your cheese curdling during the baking stage. If you don’t want to buy half and half, use 3/4 cup regular milk (1 % or 2%) and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. I did test this using just cream and again, it was way too heavy so half and half is the best route.
Do I have to use cavatappi pasta: in my opinion it is the best for mac and cheese as the sauce gets in all the nooks and crannys. Since you’re investing a lot of time into this dish, I’d say it’s worth finding the right noodle, but feel free to use whatever floats your boat.
What apple brandy should I use: I use Laird’s Apple Jack brandy. You can use any brandy, sherry of even white wine instead though if you don’t want to commit to a bottle of this. It lasts forever though so if you do make caramelized onions somewhat often I’d say get a bottle. It adds a really beautiful depth.
Why do I need to use panko bread crumbs: the lightness of the panko crumbs is necessary to balance out the heaviness of the mac and cheese. Regular breadcrumbs don’t crisp up as well and end up just adding more heaviness.
What to serve it with: As a full meal, I loved this with roasted broccolini, toss it in a bit of oil and salt and throw it in the oven with the mac and cheese. Drizzle with a bit of lemon juice. This would be fabulous as a side for Thanksgiving, or a roast meat situation, just nothing too heavy as the main (aka not a pot roast) unless you’re prepared to take a post-dinner nap!
Storing + reheating: this is best fresh but still goes hard reheated. I did mine covered in the microwave and it was fantastic still. If it dries out, sprinkle with a few splashes of water while reheating.
Make it vegan/DF: this time I’m going to have to say no. There are plenty of dairy-free mac and cheese recipes out there you could use with the caramelized onions from this recipe, but there’s a lot more to it than just subbing in DF versions of the cheese.
Make it vegetarian: sub mushroom stock or better than bouillion beefless broth. If you can make it a double concentrate I suggest that - aka if you’re using a liquid or powder concentrate, double the amount you would use 1/2 cup broth normally.
Make it gluten free: use GF pasta, and sub in GF flour. Ensure your broth is also GF.
Anything else? Drop a comment below if you have any questions, and don’t forget to let me know if you make it!
This looks/sounds delicious... Definitely going to try this one in the next 1 or 2 nights!
Oh Lordy