French Onion Mac and Cheese

Well, hello sweet onion season. The Vidalia's are back and I'm going through them like they're going out of style, or at least out of season, very soon. I'm sure I'm driving my neighbors crazy with the smell of sweet onions caramelizing in my cast iron pan on a daily basis. And I don't even necessarily have a plan for what to put them in but I'm just happy to eat them with bread if need be.

Still, the other day I was thinking of some more traditional uses for a big batch of caramelized onions and I thought about French onion soup. But, it's 85 degrees outside so I wasn't really into the idea of a bowl of hot soup. A bowl of hot mac and cheese, though, is a whole other thing!

But not just regular mac with onions, I wanted to use the primarily flavors of the soup which are beef stock, fresh thyme and Gruyere cheese. Yes, yes and yes. Such a perfect blend of flavors with the creamy pasta and those heavenly onions. Really. I'm obsessed with them and now obsessed with this dish. Enjoy!

If you're not familiar with Vidalias, they are grown in one region of Georgia and the soil and daylight there make them significantly sweeter than regular onions. They are, in fact, the state vegetable of Georgia. Check out their web site for some fun and cute facts about these sweet veggies and download a coupon so you can try them for yourself. You'll quickly become as obsessed as I am.

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by Hungry Couple

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 75 Minutes

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Ingredients (4 Servings)

• 2 Large sweet Vidalia onions
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup beef stock (canned or homemade)
• 3/4 Cup milk
• 1 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 6 oz. Gruyere cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb. Elbow macaroni

Instructions

Peel and thinly slice the onions. Add them to a cast iron pan along with the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter. Cook on medium low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and continue cooking for an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until the onions are a deep golden brown but not burned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Add the additional tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the flour and whisk until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in the beef broth and milk and continue cooking and whisking until the mixture thickens. Add the thyme and 2 oz. of the Gruyere cheese. Season to taste.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees while you cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and stir into the cheese sauce. Fold in the caramelized onions and pour the mixture into four individual crocks. Sprinkle the remaining cheese equally on each dish and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

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This recipe was sponsored by the Vidalia Onion Committee but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the products I love and use in my kitchen.