Welcome to a culinary delight that combines the comforting flavors of macaroni and cheese with the crispy, savory goodness of fried onions. This classic dish is elevated with a delightful blend of spices and a creamy cheese sauce, making it a perfect comfort food for any occasion.
In this comprehensive guide, you'll embark on a culinary journey with a collection of delectable macaroni and cheese recipes, each offering unique variations and flavors to tantalize your taste buds. From the classic Southern-style macaroni and cheese with its rich, gooey texture to the adventurous Cajun macaroni and cheese with its spicy kick, these recipes cater to every palate.
Get ready to indulge in a symphony of cheesy goodness as you explore recipes that showcase different types of cheese, from the sharp cheddar to the creamy brie, each adding its own distinct character to the dish. Discover innovative ways to incorporate tantalizing ingredients like crispy bacon, tender chicken, and sautéed vegetables, transforming your macaroni and cheese into a hearty and satisfying meal.
Whether you prefer a traditional baked macaroni and cheese with its golden-brown crust or a quick and easy stovetop version, this collection has something for every home cook. With step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and mouthwatering images, these recipes will guide you in creating a perfect macaroni and cheese that will steal the show at your next gathering.
So, prepare your taste buds for a delightful journey as you explore a world of macaroni and cheese recipes, each offering a unique symphony of flavors and textures. Let the irresistible aroma of fried onions lead you into a culinary adventure that will leave you craving for more.
FRENCH ONION "SOUP" MAC AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h55m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Topping: Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.
- Bechamel Sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir constantly, for about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and whisk in the milk or half-and-half, adding a little at a time and cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Lower heat, season with the salt and pepper and add Gruyere and mozzarella cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Set aside.
- French Onion "Soup:" Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add onions, cover, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove cover, add garlic and honey, and continue to cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and a generous amount of pepper. Remove pot from heat and add sherry. Return to heat and stir to remove browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce sherry by half, then add stock and thyme and cook until almost all liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.
- Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with the last tablespoon of butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cooked pasta with onion "soup" mixture and bechamel sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer pasta to baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumb/Parmesan topping.
- Bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
FRENCH ONION BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
This elevated take on a traditional Thanksgiving side combines the sweetness of caramelized onions with the creamy tang of two kinds of cheese. The crunchy French fried onion topping -- everyone's favorite Thanksgiving garnish -- adds the perfect counterpoint to all that creaminess.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 1h10m
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the thyme, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and bouillon cube and stir to dissolve the bouillon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar and 2 cups of the Gruyere until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with the melted butter. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Top with the onion mixture in an even layer, then cover with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere.
- Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 20 minutes. Top with the French fried onions and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chives before serving.
FRENCH ONION MAC AND CHEESE
An upscale mac and cheese! Don't skimp on the cheese! It makes the mac and cheese taste amazing!
Provided by Libbie Remmel
Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Macaroni and Cheese Recipes Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
Time 40m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions, thyme, and bay leaf in the butter for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in beef broth and milk and bring to a boil; season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Gruyere cheese until melted.
- Drain macaroni and toss with onion and sauce until well combined.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 633.5 calories, Carbohydrate 64.8 g, Cholesterol 86 mg, Fat 28.2 g, Fiber 3.4 g, Protein 29.4 g, SaturatedFat 16.4 g, Sodium 372.4 mg, Sugar 6.3 g
FRIED ONION TOPPED MACARONI AND CHEESE
I loved using the fried onions on top of a lot of things and as breading. I made this recipe and it was so good and comforting. It's a dish the whole family loves. I sneak in the cream of mushroom soup in this one and just tell my husband it's the fried onions if he comes across any pieces of mushrooms. He didn't know the...
Provided by Annamaria Settanni McDonald
Categories Other Main Dishes
Time 50m
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1. In a greased 2 quart baking dish, blend soup, milk, mustard and seasoned pepper.
- 2. Stir in macaroni and 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese.
- 3. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- 4. Remove from oven and add additional shredded cheese and fried onions and bake for another 10 minutes.
- 5. Enjoy!
FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE
This outrageously good macaroni and cheese fuses two classic comfort foods into one dish. Caramelizing onions can be a time-consuming affair, but here, the process is sped up by using high heat and and a little water to prevent scorching. The sauce is made with a combination of Gruyère, to remind you of French onion soup, and white Cheddar, to make it melty and smooth. Instead of topping the dish with a dusting of diminutive bread crumbs, it's dotted with Gruyère toasts that become melty and crisp after a few minutes under the broiler. (You'll want to slide a sheet pan underneath before baking, in case some of the sauce bubbles over.) This is over-the-top richness at its best.
Provided by Ali Slagle
Categories dinner, casseroles, pastas, main course, side dish
Time 1h
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- 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-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
- Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) 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, heat the oven to 450 degrees. 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.
FOUR CHEESE MACARONI
The epitome of comfort: Creamy mac and cheese with melty Mexican-Style cheese shreds and a crunchy SHAKE 'N BAKE topping.
Provided by My Food and Family
Categories Macaroni & Cheese
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings, about 1 cup each
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Combine first 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup cheese.
- Cook macaroni as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Stir in flour and red pepper; cook and stir 2 min. or until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk; cook on medium heat 3 to 5 min. or until mixture comes to boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sour cream; simmer on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened. Add remaining cheese; cook and stir 2 min. or until melted.
- Drain macaroni. Add to sauce; stir to evenly coat. Spoon into 8 (1-cup) baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with cheese mixture.
- Bake 10 min. or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 500, Fat 23 g, SaturatedFat 13 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Sodium 530 mg, Carbohydrate 55 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 5 g, Protein 19 g
Tips:
- Use a good quality cheese. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the macaroni and cheese. A combination of sharp cheddar and Parmesan cheese works well.
- Cook the macaroni al dente. This means that it should be cooked through but still have a slight bite to it. Overcooked macaroni will make the dish mushy.
- Make a roux. A roux is a mixture of butter and flour that is used to thicken the sauce. This will help to prevent the sauce from becoming too thin.
- Season the sauce to taste. Add salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat.
- Top the macaroni and cheese with fried onions. This will add a delicious crunch and flavor to the dish.
Conclusion:
Fried onion-topped macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With the tips provided in this article, you can make the best fried onion-topped macaroni and cheese that you have ever tasted.
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