French Onion Soup Mac & Cheese

Two of my favorite comfort foods are French Onion Soup and Mac & Cheese, but what would happen if those two worlds would collide?  Well, it just so happened that they DID collide the other day in my kitchen, and I assure you, the results were absolutely DIVINE!

Let me show you how I did it!

French Onion Soup Mac & Cheese:

*Prep Time: 40 min.  *Cook Time: 25 min. *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  10-12

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of pasta
• 6 tbsp. of butter
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 c. milk
• 1 c. Gruyere cheese (or white cheddar)
• 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 c. Mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 onions, caramelized
• 2 slices of bacon, crumbled
• Crush croutons to top
• Salt and pepper to taste

Tools:

• Skillet
• Stock pot
• Chef's knife
• Whisk
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• rolling pin
• Ziploc bag

Pre-heat your oven to 350 Degrees.



As always, when cooking any sort of pasta dish, you are going to bring a

pot of salted water to boil.

Once at a rolling boil, add your pasta and cook it 2 minutes under what the package

recommends. 

While your pasta is cooking, you will place the two slices of bacon

in a COLD pan. 

Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp. 

Once the bacon is done, remove it from pan and set aside on a paper towel.

Now add 2 tbsp. of better to your pan and...

the sliced onions.

Drop the heat to medium/low and cook for 20 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, you can shred your cheese.

This is the 10 min. point. 

Keep stirring from time to time.

at 20 minutes, add a 1/4 of water and cook for 10 more minutes.

at the 30 min. mark, add the Worcestershire sauce and you are ready to go.

Add the crumbled bacon and caramelized onions to the pasta

and toss.

Now to your pan, add the rest of the butter.

Add the flour.

And whisk for 2 min. to create a nice roux.

Add the milk while whisking.

Let simmer until the white sauce thickens.

Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.

Now it is time for the cheese.

Whisk until smooth.

YUUUUUUMMMMMMM!

Spray your baking dish with cooking spray.

Add the pasta mixture.

Then, pour over the sauce.

Place your croutons in a Ziploc bag, and work out any aggressions

you may have with your rolling pin.

Sprinkle over the top.

Then spritz it with a little cooking spray.

This will help give it a nice golden brown crust.

Place in your pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.

And YUM!

I cannot begin to tell you how amazingly rich and luscious this was! 

And with picnic/BBQ season ascending upon us, this is SURE to make you the talk of the backyard...in a good way!

I would love to hear how you and your family enjoyed this dish on my Facebook Page, as well as see all of your pictures!

French Onion Soup Mac & Cheese:

*Prep Time: 40 min.  *Cook Time: 25 min. *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  10-12

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of pasta
• 6 tbsp. of butter
• 4 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 c. milk
• 1 c. Gruyere cheese (or white cheddar)
• 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 c. Mozzarella cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 onions, caramelized
• 2 slices of bacon, crumbled
• Crush croutons to top
• Salt and pepper to taste

Tools:

• Skillet
• Stock pot
• Chef's knife
• Whisk
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• rolling pin
• Ziploc bag

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
3. Add pasta and cook two minutes under what the package recommends. 
4. In a cold pan, place your bacon, and cook over medium/high heat.
5. Cook until the fat has rendered and bacon is crisp.
6. Place on paper towel and set aside.
7. Add 2 tbsp. of butter to your pan and add the onions.
8. Lower the heat to medium/low heat.
9. Cook onions for 20 minutes.
10. Shred cheese.
11. At the 20 minute mark, add 1/4 c. of water and cook 10 more minutes.
12. To the onions add 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce.
13. Add the onions and bacon to the pasta and toss together.
14. Now to the skillet add the remaining butter and flour.
15. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes.
16. Add the milk while whisking.
17. Let simmer until the sauce thickens.
18. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.
19. Add cheese and whisk until smooth.
20. Pray your baking dish with cooking spray.
21. Add the pasta mixture to the dish.
22. Cover with cheese sauce.
23. In a Ziploc bag, crush the croutons with a rolling pin.
24. Sprinkle over the sauce.
25. Place in a pre-heated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
26. ENJOY!