If there’s one dish that deserves its own damn food group, it’s mac and cheese. I’ve made them all—baked, stovetop, boxed, powdered, roux-based, one cheese, four cheeses, elbow-shaped, corkscrew, shell, wagon wheel—you name it, I’ve boiled it. But this one? This one knocked me sideways.
The moment I folded in those deeply caramelized onions—those slow, golden, jammy strands of loveliness—I knew this version was headed straight for our dinner table’s Hall of Fame. Then came the Gruyère and Cheddar tag team. And the final flourish? A blanket of buttery breadcrumbs broiled until just this side of too much (but never actually too much). That crunch! That cheesy tangle of pasta! That soulful oniony depth!
It’s now on permanent rotation in our house. Friends beg for it. Guests mysteriously “drop by” on nights it’s on the menu. And The One and me? We never complain. Because for once, we have a mac and cheese worthy of all the folderol people usually reserve for mile-high soufflés and bespoke macarons.
Chow,
Featured Review
Happy holidays! I’m a self-proclaimed connoisseur of mac and cheese, and there are many [on this site] that are phenomenal dishes. This one, however, is the absolute best! It’s definitely a grown-up version. That being said, it’s yummiliciousness translates for kiddos as well. It will be a welcome addition to Christmas dinner.
BBQGoddess
A Pastapalooza of Mac & Cheese Recipes
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If you make this recipe, or any dish on LC, consider leaving a review, a star rating, and your best photo in the comments below. I love hearing from you.–David
French Onion Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, divided
- 3 large (1 1/4 lbs) onions, thinly sliced
- Salt
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Leaves from a small bunch of thyme
- 1 pound macaroni
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/3 cups whole milk
- 7 ounces extra-mature Cheddar cheese, grated
- 7 ounces Gruyère cheese*, grated
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 1/2 ounces breadcrumbs
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Caramelize the onions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat if necessary, until the onions have completely softened and caramelized, 30 minutes.
- Once the onions are cooked, pour in the wine and add most of the thyme leaves, reserving a handful for garnish. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. The onions can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge.
- In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package instructions instruct, then drain in a colander.
Make the cheese sauce
- In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, add remaining 4 1/2 tablespoons butter. Tip in the flour and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the cold milk into the flour mixture, a little at a time, to get a smooth sauce. Simmer the sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in Cheddar cheese and half of the Gruyère cheese. Once the cheese has melted, take sauce off the heat, add Dijon mustard, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Preheat broiler to high heat.
- Tip the cooked macaroni and caramelized onions into the cheese sauce, reserving a tablespoon of the onions. Mix well, then top with remaining onions, Gruyère cheese, and the breadcrumbs. Scatter over a handful more thyme leaves.
- Broil until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
*What can I substitute for Gruyère?
That all depends on why you’re not using Gruyère. If you don’t like the taste but still want a second cheese in your dinner, consider something milder. Emmental is close–it has the same lovely meltiness but a milder flavor. MOB Kitchen themselves suggested that if you just don’t want the expense of fancy cheeses, you can use all sharp Cheddar (so 14 ounces/400 grams in total). It won’t be as French oniony but it will still be incredible.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Did you know only 68% of the recipes we test make it onto the site? This recipe survived our rigorous blind testing process by multiple home cooks. It earned the Leite’s Culinaria stamp of approval—and the testers’ reviews below prove it.
Two of the greatest comfort foods in the world joined together—what could be better? This was a creamy, tasty, indulgent treat! I loved the flavor of the caramelized onions mixed in with the mac & cheese. I used an ordinary store brand sharp Cheddar cheese along with Gruyère and it turned out fantastic.
The only thing that I’d do differently next time is I would bake it until the bread crumbs were brown and the pasta was bubbly rather than trying to broil. My topmost layer of bread crumbs started to burn pretty quickly before the pasta had a chance to get bubbly. I served this with fresh sliced garden tomatoes and a glass of Pinot Grigio (which was the same wine I used in the recipe).
Our family loves French onion soup and this French onion mac and cheese seemed like a fantastic crossover dish. The flavor was really good and it was good enough that other family members got up to serve themselves more. Note that it is an involved dish and might go faster if you do the onion the day before but it definitely seems like a good weekend bake or a great vegetarian option for Thanksgiving.
As promised, this marriage of mac and cheese and French onion soup is as sumptuous as it sounds. It’s rich and cheesy like your classic mac and cheese baked pasta but with some sweeter notes from caramelized onions infused with white wine. Extra bonus is the Gruyère breadcrumb lid.
So good and so easy to prepare, giving much comfort and coziness. I’d encourage a generous seasoning of salt through all the stages. I also suggest some red pepper flakes for some subtle heat. Watch the broiling stage carefully. My dish crisped up quickly! Enjoy.
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Happy holidays! I’m a self-proclaimed connoisseur of mac and cheese, and there are many here that are phenomenal dishes. This one, however, is the absolute best! It’s definitely a grown-up version, that being said it’s yummiliciousness translates for kiddos as well. It will be a welcome addition to Christmas dinner.
BBQG, you know I will always acquiesce to your goddessliness. And if you say it’s the absolute best, who am I to disagree?