French Onion Mac & Cheese with Garlic Toasts


Date Published: Jan 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 8 as a main | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hours

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French Onion soup + Mac and Cheese. This is it. The ultimate comfort food. There are no short cuts here and no low-calorie nonsense this time. This is the real deal – pile on that butter and pack on the cheese because it’s time to indulge.

This mac and cheese recipe incorporates the essence of a French Onion soup: the sweet caramelized onions, tons of gruyère cheese, and topped with slices of toasted garlic bread. There’s just no better way to marry these two classic comfort dishes. This recipe does take a bit of time to caramelize the onions, but do it slow and low and you won’t regret it!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

This recipe is adapted from the NYT version.

Ingredients you’ll need: *This recipe makes a LOT of mac and cheese (8-10 servings), halve the recipe if needed.

  • Caramelized onions:
    • 3 Tbsps butter
    • 900g/2 lbs (about 3 large) yellow or sweet onions, sliced
    • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 1 large bay leaf
    • Splashes of beef stock as needed
    • 2 Tbsps sherry vinegar
  • Pasta:
    • 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
  • Baguette toasts:
    • 1 baguette, sliced to 2.5cm thickness
    • 1 garlic clove, peeled
    • 1 cup (4oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
  • Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
    • 2 Tbsps butter
    • 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups whole milk
    • 4 cups (170g/6oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • 4 + 1 cups (200g/7 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • Salt & pepper
  • Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Directions:

Caramelize the onions (you can do this the day before):

In a large deep oven-safe skillet (I use a 5.5 qt braiser enamel cast-iron pot) on MED heat, add in 3 Tbsps of butter, sliced onions, 6 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften (3-4 minutes), then turn the heat down to LOW and slowly continue to cook the onions until they’re a deep brown colour (~45 minutes to 1 hour).

Stir frequently, every 4-5 minutes to ensure the onions don’t burn and scrape the brown bits off bottom regularly. If it seems like it’s about to burn, add a splash of beef stock to loosen everything.

The onions will occasionally threaten to burn
Add a splash of beef stock and scrape up the brown bits. Repeat as needed.

Once the onions are done, add in 2 Tbsps of sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and scrape up any remaining bits for 30 seconds. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig stems. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

Add sherry vinegar
Mix and scrape up all the bits
Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems
Set aside until ready to use

Make the pasta:

While the onions are caramelizing, cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water, but stop cooking 2 minutes before it’s finished. Strain the pasta but reserve the pasta water for later in case needed and run the pasta under cold water until ready to be used.

Run under cold water to stop the cooking process

Make the baguette toasts:

While the pasta cooks, arrange the baguette slices onto a baking tray and broil for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast them until they’re just firm (you don’t need to brown them). Cut the end off of one clove of garlic and rub one side of each toasted baguette slice and set aside.

Make the cheese sauce:

Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C.

In the same pan that was used for the onions, melt 2 Tbsps of butter on MED heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 3 Tbsps of flour. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown.

Slowly add in the 4 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together without clumps. Let the sauce come to a simmer.

Add back in the caramelized onions (from step 1) and mix together.

Next, add in 4 cups of gruyère and 4 cups of cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until all the cheese has melted, then add in the cooked pasta (from step 2). Mix it all around, then add salt and pepper to taste.

If you prefer your mac & cheese on the runnier side, add some reserved pasta water (from step 2) to the pot until you reach the desired consistency. Turn off the heat.

Assemble & Bake!

Arrange the garlic-rubbed baguette toasts over the mac and cheese and sprinkle the 1 cup grated cheddar cheese over the top of the toasts.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end until the cheese is golden brown.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately!

Summarized Recipe:

French Onion Mac & Cheese with Garlic Toasts

Date Published: Jan 11th, 2025 | Last Updated: Jan 11th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, sides, vegetarian
Serves: 8 as a main | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

  • Caramelized onions:
    • 3 Tbsps butter
    • 900g/2 lbs (about 3 large) yellow or sweet onions, sliced
    • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 1 large bay leaf
    • Splashes of beef stock as needed
    • 2 Tbsps sherry vinegar
  • Pasta:
    • 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
  • Baguette toasts:
    • 1 baguette, sliced to 2.5cm thickness
    • 1 garlic clove, peeled
    • 1 cup (4oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
  • Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
    • 2 Tbsps butter
    • 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour
    • 4 cups whole milk
    • 4 cups (6oz) gruyère cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • 4 + 1 cups (7 oz) sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • Salt & pepper
  • Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Directions:

  1. Caramelize the onions (you can do this the day before):
    • In a large deep oven-safe skillet (I use a 5.5 qt braiser enamel cast-iron pot) on MED heat, add in 3 Tbsps of butter, sliced onions, 6 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf. Cook until the onions soften (3-4 minutes), then turn the heat down to LOW and slowly continue to cook the onions until they’re a deep brown colour (~45 minutes to 1 hour). Stir frequently, every 4-5 minutes to ensure the onions don’t burn and scrape the brown bits off bottom regularly. If it seems like it’s about to burn, add a splash of beef stock to loosen everything.
    • Once the onions are done, add in 2 Tbsps of sherry vinegar to deglaze the pan and scrape up any remaining bits for 30 seconds. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig stems. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
  2. Make the pasta:
    • While the onions are caramelizing, cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water, but stop cooking 2 minutes before it’s finished. Strain the pasta but reserve the pasta water for later in case needed and run the pasta under cold water until ready to be used.
  3. Make the baguette toasts:
    • While the pasta cooks, arrange the baguette slices onto a baking tray and broil for 1-2 minutes to lightly toast them until they’re just firm (you don’t need to brown them). Cut the end off of one clove of garlic and rub one side of each toasted baguette slice and set aside.
  4. Make the cheese sauce:
    • Preheat the oven to 450˚F/230˚C.
    • In the same pan that was used for the onions, melt 2 Tbsps of butter on MED heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 3 Tbsps of flour. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown.
    • Slowly add in the 4 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together without clumps. Let the sauce come to a simmer.
    • Add back in the caramelized onions (from step 1) and mix together.
    • Next, add in 4 cups of gruyère and 4 cups of cheddar cheese. Continue to whisk until all the cheese has melted, then add in the cooked pasta (from step 2). Mix it all around, then add salt and pepper to taste.
      • If you prefer your mac & cheese on the runnier side, add some reserved pasta water (from step 2) to the pot until you reach the desired consistency. Turn off the heat.
  5. Assemble & Bake!
    • Arrange the garlic-rubbed baguette toasts over the mac and cheese and sprinkle the 1 cup grated cheddar cheese over the top of the toasts.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end until the cheese is golden brown.
    • Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately!

AbbyLeave a comment

Jalapeño & Kielbasa Mac & Cheese with a Brown Butter Crumb


Date Published: Dec 10th, 2024 | Last Updated: Dec 10th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

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Hello! I can’t believe it’s been nearly 5 months since my last published recipe. Where did 2024 go? We’ve been busy working, travelling, and cooking as usual, but I’ve stepped up my travel blogging lately (coming soon) and have unfortunately put recipes on the back burner to catch up. But not worry, and I have a looooong list of half-written recipes waiting to be polished and will be coming back in full swing.

This recipe came out of a failed attempt at making a brown butter mac and cheese. I could never get the brown butter flavour to shine, so I decided to put it in a crumb topping instead. Although the brown butter is still only subtle, the end result was worth a recipe on its own. I actually made so much test mac and cheese that weekend that I brought some to work and ended up being a hit. After repeated requests for this recipe (here’s looking at you, Jasmin 😉), this recipe jumped the queue and here we are!

This hearty and by no means healthy mac and cheese is indulgent, perfect for this cold weather. The smokiness of the kielbasa paired with the subtle spicy pickled jalapeños covered in a béchamel cheese sauce makes this the perfect comfort food. The addition of the brown butter crumb is optional, but it adds an extra layer of toasty flavour and texture.

What is kielbasa?

Kielbasa is a smoked Polish sausage that’s packed full of flavour. They’re sold in the sausage section and usually comes in a ‘U’ shape (or cut in halves) and vaccuum-sealed. Most commercially available kielbasa is sold already cooked and ready to eat, but double check the package just in case. This is my all-time favourite sausage. You can eat it on its own as a snack, serve it as part of a charcuterie board, throw it in a soup such as my kielbasa chili, or mix it into any dish for that added smokey flavour.

This is my go-to brand from Whole Foods

Do not use pre-grated cheese for this recipe!

I get it, grating cheese is tedious and can be messy, but you absolutely must grate your own cheese for this recipe. The pre-grated bags of cheese have an anti-caking agent mixed in to prevent sticking and to increase the shelf life. As a result, this added agent will cause your cheese to not melt properly and you’ll get a gritty/grainy/clumpy texture in what should be a luxurious smooth cream sauce. If you have a food processor, use the grating function or just pulse small blocks of cheese until it turns into small pieces to make your life easier.

Can I use fresh jalapeños instead of the jarred/pickled ones?

I prefer the pickled jalapeños for this recipe because not only does it have the flavour, but the tartness from the pickled jalapeños is a nice contrast to break up the heavy flavours of the cheese sauce and sausage. If you want to use fresh jalapeños, I’d cook it down a little first with the melted butter in the first step of the cheese sauce and when it softens, continue the rest of the recipe. You may want to add a splash of Worcestershire at the end to brighten up the dish.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

*Note: this makes a BIG pot of mac & cheese, enough for 6 portions. Halve the recipe if needed!*

  • Brown Butter Crumb Topping:
    • 3 Tbsps (40g) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
    • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
  • Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
    • 3 Tbsps (40g) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
    • 3.5 cups whole milk
    • 3 cups sharp cheddar, grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • 2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
  • 1 whole (340g /12oz) kielbasa (Polish sausage), diced
  • 70g jarred/pickled jalapeños, drained and diced (the exact amount is not important, 70g is for a mild heat – add as much or as little to your liking)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Make the brown butter crumb topping:

In a large deep pan on LOW-MED heat, melt 3 Tbsps of butter until it lightly browns, then add in 1 cup of Panko and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix together and cook until the Panko is toasted with a golden brown colour (~3-5 mins). Turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl until ready to use. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to get rid of any residual Panko.

Make the béchamel cheese sauce:

In the same pan that was used for the Panko, melt another 3 Tbsps of butter on MED heat until lightly browned. Once melted, sprinkle in 1/3 cup of flour. Whisk for 2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown. Don’t worry if it gets a little clumpy at this stage.

Slowly add in the 3.5 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together and any clumps dissolve.

Let the sauce heat up and as it comes to a simmer, add in the 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar and 2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheese has melted and you have a smooth creamy sauce. Turn off the heat. Mix in the diced kielbasa and diced jalapeños.

Cook the pasta:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water. Strain the pasta but reserve a cup of the pasta water in case needed later.

Putting it all together:

If your cheese sauce has gone a little cold while you were waiting for the pasta to cook, turn the heat back on to warm it up then pour the strained pasta directly into the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. If it’s a little thick, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.

Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or more jalapeños to your liking. Sprinkle the brown butter crumb (from step 1) over the top before serving. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Jalapeño & Kielbasa Mac & Cheese with a Brown Butter Crumb

Date Published: Dec 10th, 2024 | Last Updated: Dec 10th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains
Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

*Note: this makes a BIG pot of mac & cheese, enough for 6 portions. Halve the recipe if needed!*

  • Brown Butter Crumb Topping:
    • 3 Tbsps (40g) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
    • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 box (1lb/16oz/454g) of elbow pasta/macaroni
  • Béchamel Cheese Sauce:
    • 3 Tbsps (40g) unsalted butter
    • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
    • 3.5 cups whole milk
    • 3 cups sharp cheddar, grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
    • 2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated (do not get the pre-grated cheese)
  • 1 whole (340g /12oz) kielbasa (Polish sausage), diced
  • 70g jarred/pickled jalapeños, diced (the exact amount is not important, 70g is for a mild heat – add as much or as little to your liking)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Make the brown butter crumb topping:
    • In a large deep pan on LOW-MED heat, melt 3 Tbsps of butter until it lightly browns, then add in 1 cup of Panko and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix together and cook until the Panko is toasted with a golden brown colour (~3-5 mins). Turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl until ready to use. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel to get rid of any residual Panko.
  2. Make the béchamel cheese sauce:
    • In the same pan that was used for the Panko, melt another 3 Tbsps of butter on MED heat until lightly browned. Once melted, sprinkle in 1/3 cup of flour. Whisk for 2 minutes until the flour is incorporated, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown. Don’t worry if it gets a little clumpy at this stage.
    • Slowly add in the 3.5 cups of milk while whisking at the same time to ensure the flour and milk mixes well together and any clumps dissolve.
    • Let the sauce heat up and as it comes to a simmer, add in the 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar and 2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheese has melted and you have a smooth creamy sauce. Turn off the heat. Mix in the diced kielbasa and diced jalapeños.
  3. Cook the pasta:
    • Cook the pasta according to package instructions with a pinch of salt in the water. Strain the pasta but reserve a cup of the pasta water in case needed later.
  4. Putting it all together:
    • If your cheese sauce has gone a little cold while you were waiting for the pasta to cook, turn the heat back on to warm it up then pour the strained pasta directly into the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly. If it’s a little thick, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
    • Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or more jalapeños to your liking. Sprinkle the brown butter crumb (from step 1) over the top before serving. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment