MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: French Onion Macaroni & Cheese
Categories: Pasta, Cheese, Vegetablesm, Herbs
Yield: 7 servings

Salt
4 tb Unsalted butter; more for
- greasing the pan
2 lb Onions; peeled, halved, thin
- sliced
5 Sprigs fresh thyme; more
- thyme leaves for garnish
1 Fresh or dried bay leaf
Black pepper
1 lb Cavatappi or elbow pasta
1 Baguette; in 1/2" slices
1 cl Garlic
2 tb Sherry, red or white wine
- vinegar
3 tb All-purpose flour
4 c Whole milk
16 oz Gruyère; grated
12 oz White Cheddar; grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you’re
planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish
instead of a skillet, butter 9" by 13" baking dish or
other 3-quart casserole.)

Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12") ovenproof skillet, melt
2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the
onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season
with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or
foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions
are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring
occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at
a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any
browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet.
(You will need to do this several times.)

While the onions are cooking, set the oven @ 450°F/232°C.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of
al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each
baguette slice with garlic.

When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme
sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the
vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you
go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons
butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring,
until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan
and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer, whisking often.

Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining
Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion
mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is
big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or
combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.

Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared
dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up.
Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and
season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet
pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15
minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few
minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme
leaves.

By Ali Slagle

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

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