Recipe: Best Ever French Onion Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese mash up is two comfort foods combined into one dreamy dish. It's super simple to make, and a definite crowd pleaser for dinner tonight or your next get together. Savoury and creamy, this is sure to be a hit with the whole family!

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil, divided
• 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cups medium pasta shells
• 1 ¾ cups 35% cream
• ½ cup low sodium beef stock
• 3 cups old white cheddar, grated (1 cup reserved)
• ¼ cup pasta water
• 1 cup gruyere, grated
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard

Topping:

• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped chives

Preparation

Spray a 27 x 34 cm dish with cooking spray and pre-heat oven to 375F.

Heat a pan over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil and all of your sliced onions. Stir often, adding extra oil and splashes of water when onions start to stick, until caramelized. This should take about 1 hour. Take off heat.

Cook pasta to package instructions and drain.

Add cooked pasta back into the pot and add your caramelized onions, cream, stock, pasta water, 2 cups of old cheddar, all gruyere and dijon mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and stir until pasta is fully coated. Spoon into prepared dish.

Combine panko breadcrumbs with your remaining 1 cup old cheddar cheese, a splash of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over top of your pasta mixture. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes until sauce is thickened. Garnish with chives and enjoy!

Yield: Makes 6-8 servings