French Onion Mac and Cheese

This stovetop French Onion Mac and Cheese is everything you love about French onion soup but in pasta form! It’s a decadent caramelized onion mac and cheese with melty Gruyere cheese and crispy Panko breadcrumbs on top.

Ever have a good problem to deal with?

Right now my cheese drawer is packed full of every cheese you can imagine – Parmesan, gruyere, blue cheese, feta cheese, queso fresco, multiple kinds of Irish cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, smoked cheddar cheese.

It’s probably better to ask what cheese don’t I have in my fridge right now? And why *do* I have so many cheeses at once?

Sometimes with recipe development, you need to use very specific ingredients without any substitutions, like blue cheese for buffalo chicken grilled cheese, Parmesan for Quiche Florentine, and gruyere for my French onion quiche.

Of course once I’m done with these recipes, I have plenty of cheese leftover. And if you’re ever purchased gruyere before, you know it ain’t cheap, and I wasn’t about to waste it.

If you’re not familiar with gruyere, it’s a hard yellow cheese from Switzerland known for its melting quality, which is why you often see it used in French onion soup.

And since it’s perfect for melting, I knew it’d make the best French Onion Mac and Cheese.

It’s a caramelized onion mac and cheese with a creamy gruyere cheese sauce and crispy panko breadcrumbs.

I make mac and cheese for two several times a month for dinner, whether it’s pulled pork mac and cheese, Alfredo mac and cheese, or pesto mac and cheese.

French onion soup is made up of three main components: caramelized onion, Gruyere cheese, and a crouton on top.

I have the onion and cheese covered. Now to figure out the croutons.

Rather than stirring in actual croutons, I fried up some Panko breadcrumbs and sprinkled them on top to give it crunch.

Now your French onion soup mac n cheese is ready to be served!

Why You’ll Love This French Onion Mac and Cheese Recipe

• Can be prepped ahead of time! – Since caramelizing the onions takes time, you can do this step a few days before then refrigerate until ready to use.
• No oven required! – This stovetop mac and cheese means you don’t need to turn on the oven especially when it’s hot outside.
• Mac and cheese for two! – This small batch mac and cheese makes just enough for two people.

Ingredients for French Onion Mac and Cheese

Here’s what you need to make your French onion mac and cheese recipe:

• Butter: The fat needed to both fry your onions and build your cheese sauce
• Onion: The star of your French onion mac! Can be caramelized a few days ahead of time
• Elbow macaroni: Elbows are the most traditional shape for mac and cheese
• Flour: Thickens the sauce by making a roux
• Milk: Use whole milk for maximum creaminess. Do not use low fat or skim.
• Gruyere cheese: It’s similar to Swiss cheese but has a richer taste and no holes.
• Salt: Ensures both your pasta and sauce aren’t bland
• Panko breadcrumbs: It’s a little bigger than fine breadcrumbs and adds much needed crunch to an otherwise soft mac and cheese.
• Parsley: Adds some freshness to balance the richness of the dish

Tips, Variations, and Substitutions

• Instead of Gruyere, substitute Swiss or Provolone for the cheese.
• Use shells or cavatappi as another fun pasta shape.
• Add bacon for some extra flavor and crunch. It may not be traditional for French onion soup, but it sure is delicious!

How To Make French Onion Macaroni and Cheese

Ready to make your homemade caramelized onion mac and cheese? Here’s how to do it:

1. Caramelize onions until deep golden brown.
2. Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.
3. Melt butter, scraping up any brown bits left behind from the onion.
4. Whisk in flour and milk then bring to a boil.
5. Cook sauce until thickened then stir in cheese and pasta.
6. Fry breadcrumbs on stove.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• A grainy sauce: This means you melted your cheese over too high heat, causing the fat in the cheese to separate. To prevent this, remove the skillet from the heat then stir in your cheese until melted. If your sauce does separate, add some warm milk (not cold) to smooth it back out.
• Sauce too thick: – The longer macaroni sits, the thicker the cheese sauce will get. If this happens to you, add more milk to thin it out.
• Bland mac and cheese: This means you didn’t use enough salt. It’s important you properly salt both the pasta water and your sauce. Having a well-seasoned sauce cannot save bland pasta.

What To Serve With French Onion Macaroni and Cheese

When making mac and cheese for dinner, you’ll want a side to make it a full meal!

Because it’s often a rich and heavy dinner, serve it with green onion salad or panzanella to help balance that out.

You can also serve it with a bowl of fresh tomato soup or roasted jalapeno soup.

How To Make Caramelized Onions Ahead Of Time

There’s no easy way around it – caramelizing onions takes time. Roughly 45 minutes when you cook them low and slow.

Good news is you can caramelize onions up to 3 days ahead of time! You can make them during your Sunday meal prep and have to them ready to go for dinner later in the week.

After your onions are golden brown and delicious, here’s what you need to do:

1. Add a splash of water then scrape up any brown bits left behind on the bottom of your pan. This is full of flavor, so don’t miss out!
2. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
3. Transfer your onions to an airtight container (preferably glass as plastic may retain some of the onion smell) then refrigerate until ready to use.

More Mac and Cheese Recipes

If you enjoyed this French onion mac and cheese recipe, check out my other macaroni recipes:

• Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
• Beer Mac and Cheese with kielbasa
• Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
• Asian Mac and Cheese

First published June 6, 2016