Pairs perfectly with J. Lohr Cuvée POM Red Blend
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CARAMELIZED ONION MAC AND CHEESE
"My husband is the chef in our family, but I’m always thinking ahead to the holiday madness (we often fly back to Ohio with our four kids)! As soon as our plane lands, I’m eager to contribute something to the table, but it has to be easy and kid-pleasing. Mac and cheese checks both those boxes. To introduce the kids to new flavors though (like jalapeño, seafood, bacon etc), I try to elevate it a bit. With deeply caramelized onions and an optional dash of truffle oil, this comforting recipe hits the spot. And for the adults at the adults at the table? It pairs beautifully with J. Lohr Cuvée Pom, a Bordeaux-style red blend.” - Rhonda Motil, VP of Marketing
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dried pasta (I used Cannolicchi pasta, but elbow pasta works well too)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (+ 2 TBSP for topping)
- 2 large yellow onions
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cup half and half
- 16 oz aged Wisconsin cheddar (save a handful for the topping)
- 2 cups panko, or homemade breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt
- Optional: Truffle oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 9”x13” baking dish. Set aside.
- In generously salted water, cook pasta for a few minutes fewer than package calls for (it will continue
cooking once in the oven). Strain pasta, then toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. - In heavy bottom saucepan, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Cut onions in half, then thinly slice. Add
onion and 1 tsp salt to the pot and cook until onions caramelize (about 25 minutes). If you’re worried
about them burning, add a dash of water to release them from the pot. The darker they get, the more
flavor they’ll have! Remove the onions from the pot, leaving the remaining melted butter. - Add the thyme, flour, and ½ tsp salt to the pot and whisk until smooth—let the mixture continue to cook
for about 1-2 minutes, continuously whisking until the flour is a light golden color. It will look like a thick
paste. Add the onions back to the pot and stir to combine with flour mixture. - Slowly add the milk and continue whisking. Whisk until it starts to thicken (don’t let it boil though!), then
add the half and half. Once it’s thick enough to stick to the spatula, remove from heat, add cheese
(reserve a handful for the top!) and whisk until melted. Stop mixing as soon as the cheese is melted. - Add pasta and stir to coat. Taste and add more salt if needed. Transfer to baking dish.
- Melt the remaining 2 TBSP butter and combine with the breadcrumbs and ½ tsp salt. Evenly sprinkle the
breadcrumb mixture, then the cheese, over top of the pasta. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil for 2-3 min
until the top is golden and bubbling. - Optional: drizzle with truffle oil before serving.