French Onion Soup Mac And Cheese Recipe

If you had to think of foods that truly embody comfort food on a chilly day, then French onion soup and mac and cheese would be our top two contenders. And if some combination of the two dishes sounds like your version of paradise, then this French onion soup mac and cheese recipe is gently calling you into the kitchen. 

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, French onion soup mac and cheese takes all the traditional full-bodied, savory notes of the original bistro classic and turns them into a rich béchamel sauce for mac and cheese pasta. A crunchy breadcrumb and Parmesan topping mimics the toast that is typically served on top of the soup, with the melty Gruyère and Emmental from the topping folded into the pasta. 

This culinary crossover may sound like a surprising combination at first, but it actually works together perfectly. The sauce of mac and cheese is essentially béchamel, the white mother sauce of the French kitchen, and the cheesiness of onion soup lends itself perfectly to pasta. The result is a rich, creamy main that is smooth and warming from the inside out. 

This French onion-inspired mac and cheese starts with an umami-laden base. For the onion base, you'll need butter, yellow onions, sweet onions, white wine, beef broth, and salt and pepper to taste. If you're unsure what constitutes a sweet onion, then Vidalia onions are the perfect choice. For the béchamel, assemble butter, flour, whole milk, Gruyère, Emmental, and more salt and pepper. For the pasta itself, you'll want elbow macaroni, though if you prefer another pasta, orecchiette will instantly upgrade your mac and cheese. You'll need breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, and melted butter to top the bake, and you can optionally sprinkle some fresh diced parsley and cream.

Set the oven to 375 F.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat.

Add the onions and cook 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deep golden.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits.

Add the beef broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

For the béchamel, melt the butter in a saucepan.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk.

Stir in the Gruyère and Emmental until melted.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the macaroni to al dente.

Combine the caramelized onions, béchamel, and cooked macaroni.

Transfer to a greased baking dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the mac and cheese.

Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Optionally, sprinkle the mac and cheese with diced parsley and drizzle with more cream, and serve.

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French onion soup is a classic French dish that goes back all the way to the 18th century. One story is that it started in the country, but another legend claims that it was invented by King Louis XV himself, when he was stuck in a lodge with minimal supplies. When left with nothing but butter, onions, and broth, the king created a soup that was so satisfying it earned a place of honor in his royal kitchens.

That story may be an exaggeration, but one thing is certain — French onion soup, as opposed to regular old onion soup, became a fixture of Parisian bistros in the 18th and 19th centuries. In that iteration, the soup combined beef broth, onions, butter, bread, and of course, the ultimate French onion soup component, Gruyère cheese.

Our French onion mac and cheese version is inspired by a newer variation, that of the late Chef Anthony Bourdain from his French restaurant, Les Halles. We go heavy on the butter and onions and caramelize them slowly, and, while we omitted the wine, the sauce has a sharpness from a mix of Gruyère and Emmental. The result is a reimagined creamy pasta sauce that honors the original with its essential flavors.

This version of French onion soup mac and cheese is a favorite, but there are other ways you can change it up according to your preferences or what you have on hand. Firstly, you can go closer to our Bourdain inspiration and add 1 ounce each of port and balsamic vinegar. You can also add a bouquet garni — a French term that refers to herbs like thyme, sage, bay leaf, parsley, and others, tied together with kitchen twine — in with the stock while it starts to cook.

Another potential addition is to add some diced pancetta or bacon to the pan when the onions are almost done cooking. This will give it even more smoky depth of flavor. If you're vegetarian, you can swap the beef broth of the original for mushroom broth, which has the same deep umami flavor. Finally, if you're short on time, you can also skip the breadcrumb crust and just serve it straight from the pan with a crusty baguette. No one will mind!

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