Subj : 7/14 Mac & Cheese Day - 2
To   : All
From : Dave Drum
Date : Mon Jul 14 2025 05:50:08

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

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

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