French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese (US Style)

1.Add onions into a pan with butter & a pinch of salt, & cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes until dark, golden & caramelized.

2.Add stock & thyme, turn heat to medium-high, cook for 10 minutes until most of the stock has been absorbed & evaporated. Set aside.

3.To make breadcrumbs, slice 1 small baguette into discs, add into a bowl with olive oil, thyme & salt, then mix together until evenly coated. Lay bread out onto a baking tray & cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes until golden & crisp. Remove from oven, place into blender & blitz into coarse breadcrumbs.

4.For the sauce, melt butter in a pan over medium heat then mix in the flour until combined. Cook for a few minutes, then gradually whisk in the milk, taking your time to ensure no lumps form. Once the milk is mixed in, bubble sauce for a few minutes, constantly stirring so the bottom doesn’t burn.

5.Remove béchamel from the heat, add in 2/3rds of caramelized onions, cheeses, mustard, nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Set sauce aside until ready to use.

6.For the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt then add in the dried pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until just al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water then strain pasta.

7.Place pasta in a large pan, pour over sauce & mix. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water & mix. Smooth it out, top with breadcrumbs & remaining caramelized onions. Place under the grill for 5 minutes to toast breadcrumbs a little more, remove from the oven & serve.