I’m pretty sure the two coziest foods in the entire world are French onion soup and mac n cheese. Hence, the reason why I thought it might be a good idea to combine the two into one bowl of cheesy, carb-driven comfort. 

In fact, I’m not sure I can ever eat mac n’ cheese ever again without caramelized onions because it adds such a nice bite to an otherwise super cheesy one-note kind of dish. 

I used Gruyere in this mac n’ cheese because that’s what’s usually called for in French onion soup, but any meltable cheese would work well. Think fontina or your favorite cheddar or even mozzarella, though I do love the depth added by Gruyere. 

This ratio for mac n’ cheese is also a good base! I use it for all different types of mac n’ cheese!

French Onion Mac n’ Cheese

Two classic comfort foods unite in a bowl of cheesy, carb-driven comfort. (Recipe Credit: Adrianna Adarme of Fresh Tastes)

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 whole milk
• 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. When warm, add the onion slices and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and caramelized. Remove and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Pour in the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes, or as directed per the instructions on the package of pasta.
3. To a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the butter and flour. Cook the roux, until the butter melts and a paste forms. Whisk in the 2 1/2 cups of milk and bring the sauce to a very slight boil, whisking the entire time, and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow the milk mixture to cool for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cheese. If it’s a bit too thick, you can add a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup milk. Give it a taste and add salt to taste; I added about 2 teaspoons of salt.
4. To the pot, add the macaroni and toss with the cheesy sauce. Give it another taste and adjust the salt to taste (I added a bit more). Lastly, add the caramelized onion and stir. Serve immediately and garnish with black pepper.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.