Two soul-warming classics come together in this French onion mac and cheese. We use a triple-billing of big cheeses: Gruyère gives earthy notes, fontina provides a sweet undertone, and Emmentaler hits with some tart tang. Don’t forget the crumbled bouillon cube when sautéing the onions (we like Knorr); it adds a subtle base note of beefy, simmered-all-day flavor to a baked pasta you can enjoy in under an hour. We love to make this bistro-esque baked pasta in individual ramekins, but we’ve also included directions for making one baking dish or cooking it in an ovenproof skillet if you want to go the one-pan route.
Making French Onion Mac and Cheese Ahead
You can make this dish ahead up to baking—just refrigerate (covered), and then bake until bubbly, which may take slightly longer than when baking right after assembling the dish.
Make it in individual portions, one big dish, or make it a one-pot dinner: You can bake this recipe in individual dishes, a single 2 1/2-quart baking dish, or in the skillet you cook the onions in (if it’s ovenproof). For one baking dish, the bake time will be 15-20 minutes before adding the cheese, then about 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.