Photo of French onion mac & cheese by WW

French onion mac & cheese

7
Points® value
Total Time
50 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Yellow onions are ideal here, and white onions will work, too. Avoid sweet onions, which can become almost too sweet when caramelized. A splash of soy sauce is stirred into the onions at the end of the caramelization process to add loads of umami depth. With this recipe–and all the mac and cheese recipes–buy block cheese and shred it yourself to achieve the creamiest results.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

4 spray(s)

Olive oil

1 tbsp(s)

Onion

2 pound(s), yellow, thinly sliced vertically

Fresh thyme

1 tbsp(s), chopped

Kosher salt

1 tsp(s), divided

Low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp(s)

Uncooked whole wheat rotini pasta

12 oz

Fat free evaporated milk

1½ cup(s)

Vegetable broth

¼ cup(s)

Cornstarch

1 tbsp(s)

Black pepper

½ tsp(s)

Low-fat Swiss cheese

3 oz, shredded

White cheddar cheese

2 oz, sharp variety, shredded

Chives

2 tbsp(s), chopped

Instructions

  1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the onions to the pan; sauté 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme and ¼ tsp salt. Continue cooking until the onions are very soft and deeply browned, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and stirring in water 1 tbsp at a time as needed to prevent scorching. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a Dutch oven or large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 9 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta.
  3. In the Dutch oven or saucepan, whisk together the milk, broth, cornstarch, black pepper, and remaining ¾ tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low, and gradually add the cheeses, stirring until they melt. Add the pasta and the onion mixture; stir well to combine. Sprinkle with the chives.
  4. Serving size: 1 cup plus 2 tbsp