Subj : 7/14 Mac & Cheese Day - 2
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Mon Jul 14 2025 07:26:22

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: French Onion Macaroni & Cheese
 Categories: Pasta, Cheese, Vegetablesm, Herbs
      Yield: 7 servings
 
           Salt
      4 tb Unsalted butter; more for
           - greasing the pan
      2 lb Onions; peeled, halved, thin
           - sliced
      5    Sprigs fresh thyme; more
           - thyme leaves for garnish
      1    Fresh or dried bay leaf
           Black pepper
      1 lb Cavatappi or elbow pasta
      1    Baguette; in 1/2" slices
      1 cl Garlic
      2 tb Sherry, red or white wine
           - vinegar
      3 tb All-purpose flour
      4 c  Whole milk
     16 oz Gruyère; grated
     12 oz White Cheddar; grated
 
  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you’re
  planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish
  instead of a skillet, butter 9" by 13" baking dish or
  other 3-quart casserole.)
  
  Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12") ovenproof skillet, melt
  2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the
  onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season
  with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or
  foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions
  are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
  
  Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring
  occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
  If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at
  a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any
  browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
  (You will need to do this several times.)
  
  While the onions are cooking, set the oven @ 450°F/232°C.
  
  Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of
  al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each
  baguette slice with garlic.
  
  When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme
  sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the
  vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you
  go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons
  butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring,
  until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan
  and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes.
  Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper.
  Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
  
  Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining
  Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion
  mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is
  big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or
  combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
  
  Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared
  dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up.
  Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and
  season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet
  pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15
  minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few
  minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme
  leaves.
  
  By Ali Slagle
  
  Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  
  RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
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