French Onion Mac and Cheese

My favorite favorite favorite soup is French onion but it’s something that I only have once or twice a year. I won’t make a big batch of the stuff because I know the boys won’t eat it and the canned stuff just doesn’t do it for me. So I was beyond excited when I found this recipe. Then I got scared. Because it comes from Rachael Ray. Then I got excited again when I started seeing it pop up on some of my favorite blogs. WITH GOOD REVIEWS.

I loved it, my husband loved it, my kid spit it out on the floor. Seriously. Then he said, “Dukie will get it.” Awesome.

Anyway, I made very few changes surprisingly. I wasn’t going to spend $10 on Gruyere so I used Swiss but if you’re a fan of the fancy stuff, I bet it makes the pasta that much better.

Have you guys had good luck with Rachael’s recipes? The first one I ever tried was pasta in a peanut sauce and it turned me off of peanut sauces forever. It was that awful.

French Onion Mac & Cheese

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

• 4 tablespoons butter (divided)
• 2 large onions (very thinly sliced)
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound penne
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups Swiss cheese (shredded)

1. In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, thyme and bay leaf for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook until the onions are browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
3. In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted.
4. Combine the onions and sauce with the pasta and toss well.