Did you enjoy the Super Bowl? I have to admit that because MY team wasn’t playing, I was mainly watching for the commercials and for the halftime show (which Beyonce SLAYED of course). Tai and I made some last minute food for the game, most of which was thrown together because our grocery store was out of a lot of things (tortilla chips for instance, the most important of foods on game day!). So we made guacamole for tortillas, ice cream and I made mac and cheese.
This mac and cheese was fantastic! And we are picky about our mac and cheese because a family friend of ours makes the absolute BEST mac and cheese. It’s so good that it’s my sister’s christmas present every year. And while mine still didn’t come close, it was still pretty darn good.
This mac and cheese was both cheesy, crunchy, smoky, sweet, and savory, which is an amazing blend! My secret ingredient is nutmeg, which doesn’t change the taste but helps the cheese be less sticky and not coat your mouth. Trust me, try it with your next cheesy dish and you’ll see a big difference.
Caramelized Onion Mac and Cheese
Caramelized Onion Mac and Cheese: an upgraded classic.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
- 2 Oz Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Tbsp Parsley
- 2 Tbsp Melted Butter
Noodles
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3 Tbsp Flour
- 2 Cups Milk
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tsp Dry Ground Mustard
- 2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 12 Oz Sharp Cheddar
- 1/2 Pound Macaroni
- 2 Onions
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 Pound Bacon
- 1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400.
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Toast breadcrumbs on a baking sheet until golden, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then mix with melted butter, cheddar cheese and parsley. Cook bacon until crispy, then let cool and chop into small pieces and add to the breadcrumb mixture.
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Melt butter in a medium sauce pot over medium heat and whisk in flour to create a roux. Let the roux cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly.
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Add in milk and bring to a boil, then simmer.
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Whisk in cream, mustard, worcestershire, nutmeg, cheese, salt, and pepper until smooth.
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Slice onions thinly. Add to a large frying pan with butter and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions brown.
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Cook noodles in a pot of well salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl.
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Combine sauce, noodles and onions in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a baking dish.
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Cover noodles with topping and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Let cool, then enjoy!
This look so good! What a great twist to Mac and Cheese 🙂
Thx Kortney!
I try not to eat too much cheese on a regular basis so I save it for recipes like this one. Your spin on mac and cheese looks AMAZING! I am so excited to try this one out. My kids will be so happy to see this on the table. Thanks for the recipe!
Aww glad you like it Amy!
Fortunately we took the easy way out this year and went to the Super Bowl party our apartment complex was hosting. It had all the makings of an eventful night. . .free food, drunkards falling off of bar stools, a lady way too old to be wearing leather pants shimmy-ing like a stripper on the pool table. What can I say?. . .it was sensory overload. . .and I didn’t even make it to the half time show. But it’s all good. . .I got free food. . .and then came upstairs to polish the night off with a big plate full of brownies. I’m wishing they would have had this divine mac and cheese though. I love the caramelized onions. . .it gives this childhood favorite a sophisticated grown-up vibe.
Woah your Super Bowl party sounds more exciting than the game! Glad you like the recipe!