We're firmly in the age of the culinary mashup, and it's delightful. Bulgogi burritos, ramen burgers, smash burger quesadillas, totchos, Caesared spaghetti, red velvet brownies, and now: French onion soup mac and cheese. Of course, mashups can go wrong (looking at you, chicken noodle soup cough drops), but in the case of this pasta dish, everything is very, very right. We start with all-American mac and cheese—which is certainly comforting but frankly can be a little one dimensional—and zhuzh it up with all the trappings of French onion soup, including buttery caramelized onions, nutty Gruyère, and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
While the flavors of mac and cheese are typically pretty straightforward, this recipe, developed by our Birmingham-based test kitchen colleague Julia Levy, is layered with deep, rich flavors. As soon as you set your water to boil for the pasta, you'll begin caramelizing onions—a full pound and a half of them. To speed the cooking admittedly lengthy time it takes to caramelize the onions, Julia has you start by covering the lid in the beginning, then removing it to continue cooking until the onions are very soft and brown.
This initial step of covering the pot traps steam, helping to soften the onions much faster than if the lid is left off. As soon as they're softened, the lid comes off to let that steam escape and the browning begin. Even with this shortcut, the onions will take about 40 minutes to reach the sweet flavor and almost-melting consistency we're looking for. Don't cut the cooking time short—these onions are the star of the show. The good news is that the onions only need to be stirred occasionally, so you can multitask and grate and cube the cheese while the onions cook. Once the onions are browned, dry sherry and fragrant fresh thyme go into the pot to further build those classic French onion soup flavors.
The cheese sauce is a classic mornay sauce made with a butter-and-flour roux, milk, and cheese, but there's a clever addition to give the dish the beefy flavor of French onion soup: bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon. Bouillon paste adds a concentrated kick of savory beefy flavor without diluting or thinning the sauce the way stock or broth would (plus, we think it'd be a bit much to make homemade beef stock just for a mac and cheese, and we generally find that store-bought beef broth tastes terrible).
Of course cheese is a key component of both mac and cheese and French onion soup, and here we're using the classic French onion topper, Gruyère. Julia tested using a combination of Gruyère and onion Jack, but ultimately decided it was best to just let the Gruyère shine on its own. It's a great melter, so there's no need to add other cheeses for the requisite creaminess and gooeyness of a good mac. In addition to melting Gruyère into the sauce, the recipe also calls for folding cubes of the cheese into the mac and cheese mixture before baking to create little pockets of melty, stretchy cheese throughout.
The final touch is our nod to the croutons that go on French onion soup: panko breadcrumbs mixed with store-bought crispy fried onions. Then into the oven it goes to bake until bubbly, browned, and crispy on top. This baked mac is substantial enough to serve on its own or with a simple green salad, but it also pairs well with roasted or fried chicken and makes a great centerpiece for a vegetarian plate. Oooh-oui it's good!
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205°) In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than cooking time indicated on package. Drain, then transfer pasta to a large mixing bowl; set aside.
While pasta is cooking, in a Dutch oven, heat 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter over medium heat until melted. Add onions and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions become very soft and brown, 30 to 35 minutes. If browned onion juices on bottom of pot begin to burn, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) water, scrape up browned bits, and continue cooking; add water whenever needed to prevent burning.
While onions caramelize, shred 1 pound (456 g) of Gruyère and cube remaining 8 ounces (226 g) into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside until ready to use.
Once onions have browned, increase heat to medium and stir in sherry 1 tablespoon thyme; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Return now-empty Dutch oven to medium heat and melt 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter; add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute. Add milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly and thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to create a smooth, lump-free texture. Sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all the milk is added. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often, and cook until sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Whisk in mustard, bouillon, and pepper.
Remove from heat and, working in increments, whisk in shredded Gruyère until a smooth, emulsified cheese sauce forms; stir in reserved onions.
Scrape cheese sauce into pasta and mix until evenly coated. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then add cubed Gruyère and mix well. Scrape pasta into a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish and smooth surface into an even layer.
In a small bowl, combine panko, fried onions, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon thyme. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter, then add to panko mixture and mix until evenly coated. Scatter panko mixture evenly over surface of mac and cheese. Bake until browned and bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes.
Let mac and cheese rest for 15 minutes. Garnish with thyme leaves and serve.
Special Equipment
Large pasta pot, Dutch oven, 9- by 13-inch baking dish
Make Ahead and Storage
The pasta can be cooked, cooled, and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days before preparing the casserole.
Cheese can be shredded and cubed up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers.
The onions can be sliced ahead up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or fully caramelized up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.
Leftover mac and cheese can be refrigerated for up to 5 days; it reheats surprisingly well in the microwave or oven
Posts
0 Comments