Warm Up Your Menu with French Onion Mac & Cheese

Brisk temperatures have us cozying up for winter and the upcoming holidays. Adding seasonal dishes to your menu is a great way to maximize profits while providing warm, inviting comfort foods for your guests. French Onion Mac & Cheese is the perfect twist on a classic wintertime soup. This indulgent dish will have your guests feeling like they’ve snuggled up in their flannel Pjs for a movie night in.

5 tbsp. Shamrock Farms® Butter, divided, plus more room temperature for brushing
2 Markon® Large Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, to taste
1 lb. Villa Frizzoni® Cavatappi Pasta
2 tbsp. All-purpose Flour
2 ½ cups Shamrock Farms Whole Milk
1 cup Fontina Cheese, grated
2 ½ cups Cobblestreet MKT™ Gruyère Loaf, grated
1 cup Cobblestreet MKT Sharp White Cheddar Cheese Block, shredded
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
Pinch of Katy’s Kitchen® Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Markon
Fresh Thyme Leaves, plus more for garnish
Breadcrumbs, garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush 4 to 6 ramekins (depending on size) or small ovenproof baking dishes with butter. Alternatively, brush one large baking dish with butter.
2. In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden, about 30 minutes.
3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, following package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk until combined. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in fontina, 1 cup of the Gruyère, and cheddar until cheese is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pasta, caramelized onions, Dijon, thyme, and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Divide mixture among ramekins and top each ramekin with the remaining Gruyère and breadcrumbs. Bake until sauce is bubbly around the edges, about 20 minutes.
6. Switch oven to broil and broil until cheese is golden, about 2 minutes. Garnish with more thyme before serving.