French Onion Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

2 large Vidalia onions, very thinly sliced

A couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup whole milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 pound gruyere cheese, shredded

½ pound Italian fontina cheese, shredded

1 pound penne

Breadcrumb topping, optional – see note

Directions:

In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook until the onions are browned and softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the wine.  Let the wine cook down for a minute, stir with whisk so mixture is smooth.  Slowly add chicken stock and milk until combined and smooth and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheeses until melted.

Combine the onions and sauce with the pasta and toss well. If using breadcrumb topping add a sprinkle to the top of the dish and serve the rest in a bowl for passing at the table.

Note - To add some texture to this dish I added a breadcrumb topping.  I had some extra garlic and parmesan panetini crackers and pulsed them in the food processor and added them to the top.  Alternatively, you could sauté 1 clove of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or butter.  Add about ½ cup to ¾ cup panko bread crumbs.  Toss with garlic oil and let get lightly browned.  Turn off heat and toss with ¼ cup parmesan cheese.