French Onion Mac and Cheese, An Irresistible Cast Iron Recipe
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French onion mac and cheese is similar to French onion soup, with similar flavors, a Swiss cheese sauce, and soft, tender pasta to make it a complete meal.
French Onion Mac and Cheese
Take your mac and cheese game up a notch (or ten) with this French onion mac and cheese recipe. With all the flavors of French onion soup blending perfectly with creamy, cheesy pasta, comfort food at its finest.
The best part? It all comes together in one cast iron skillet, making both cooking and clean-up a breeze.
So, if you are ready to make this grown up mac and cheese recipe, let’s dive in. This recipe is easy to make and even easier to love.
Recommended Equipment
- 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet– this is the skillet I use at my house to make this recipe.
- Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Pan– I love this pan, this is another pan I use for a lot of one-pan meals as well.
Ingredients Needed
Here is everything you need to recreate this French onion soup mac and cheese recipe just how I made it. With just a handful of simple ingredients, you’ll have dinner done in no time. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Butter and Olive Oil
- Salt, black pepper and fresh thyme
- Sugar
- Beef broth
- Heavy cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- Dijon mustard
- Rigatoni pasta
- Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese
How to Make French Onion Pasta
Now that we’ve got all the ingredients together, let’s talk about how to make this French Onion pasta recipe:
- Melt the butter and olive oil– heat the pan over medium heat and melt the butter with the olive oil in the pan
- Cook the onions– cook the thinly sliced onions in the butter and olive oil, season with salt, black pepper, and thyme. This can take 20-30 minutes until the onions are browned and have shrunk.
- Add the sugar– add the sugar to the pan and cook and stir until the onions are caramelized and soft.
- Remove half of the onions– once the onions have cooked, remove half of them for later.
- Add the liquids– pour in the beef broth, cream, Worcestershire, and Dijon mustard
- Add the pasta– add the pasta and bring the pan to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened. The pasta will soak up the liquid as it cooks. Stir the pasta frequently to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add cheeses– once the pasta is done, stir in the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses until blended.
- Add caramelized onions– top the pasta with the remaining caramelized onions and more Swiss cheese. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pasta
If you have leftovers of this French onion pasta, place it into an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because of the cream, I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
To reheat, place a portion on a plate and microwave in 30-second increments until heated through. Stir in between each cooking time to help prevent the cream from separating.
What to Serve With French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese
Make this dish for a special occasion, date night, or just a simple weeknight meal, and serve it alongside some garlic butter broccoli, a simple salad, or some garlic cheese rolls.
More Pasta Recipes to Try:
Looking for more simple weeknight pasta recipes? Give one of these a try:
French Onion Mac and Cheese Recipe
When you have finished feeding your fam this delicious mac and cheese recipe, be sure to come back and leave me a review here! I can’t wait to hear how this recipe turned out for you!
If you are looking for more detailed recipes and ideas to help with the daily dinner dilemma, or maybe a sweet treat, be sure to follow along with me on YouTube, and if you feel like sharing your masterpieces, be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook.
French Onion Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 large white onions thinly sliced into moon shapes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups Swiss cheese grated
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 pound Rigatoni pasta
Instructions
- Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and melt the butter and olive oil in the pan
- Add in the onion, salt, black pepper and thyme. Cook and stir the onion for about 20-30 minutes until the onions are browned and tender. Add in the sugar and cook until the onions are caramelized. Remove half of the onions from the skillet.
- Pour in the beef broth, cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Stir to cmobine.
- Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of the Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
- Top the pasta with the remaining Swiss cheese and caramelized onions and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are just an estimate of the ingredients listed
- Store any leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days
- suggested onions for this recipe are either white or yellow onions
