This insanely great smoked French onion mac & cheese might be the best mac & cheese I've ever had. We're combining the classic flavors of French onion soup and bringing it together in a one-pan, no-fuss mac & cheese that you can just pop on your smoker.
For the cheeses, we're using smoked Gruyère and white cheddar, and then topping the mac with crunchy baguette slices topped with even more Gruyère.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Cavatappi Pasta — Cavatappi is perfectly shaped to hold the creamy cheese sauce
- Yellow Onions — I love using yellow onions when I want to caramelized onions
- Unsalted Butter — to caramelize the onions in
- BBQ Rub — to help season the whole dish. I used Fire & Smoke Society's Honey Garlic rub
- Whole Milk — this is the foundation for the creamy base
- Smoked Gruyère Cheese — nutty and melty, a key ingredient in French onion soup
- White Cheddar Cheese — sharp and velvety, this helps balance the Gruyère
- Baguette — sliced into crispy toasts to help make a crunchy, cheesy for the mac
- Garlic Paste — I rubbed some garlic paste on the baguette slices for a nice hint of garlic flavor
HOW TO MAKE SMOKED FRENCH ONION
MAC & CHEESE
1. Cook the Pasta
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook cavatappi pasta until just shy of al dente. Drain the pasta when it's done and set aside.
2. Caramelize the Onions
Slice your onions into strips (or use a mandoline) and cook them in a pan over medium heat with 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and a shake of the BBQ rub. Stir frequently and cook for about 25 minutes until they're soft and a dark golden brown.
3. Make the Cheese Sauce
In a cast iron pan, combine the caramelized onions, milk, shredded white cheddar, and shredded Gruyère. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère for the topping later on.
4. Smoke the Cheese Sauce
Add the cheese sauce to your smoker and smoke at 250F for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are melted and all the ingredients are well-combined.
5. Add the Pasta
Remove the pan from the smoker and add the pasta, mixing well with the melted cheese sauce so everything is nice and combined.
6. Add the Bread Slices
Spread a little of the garlic paste on each of the baguette slices and place the bread on top of the dish until it's covered in the bread. Sprinkle the reserved Gruyère cheese generously over the bread slices.
7. Smoke to Finish
Add the pan back on the smoker and increase the temperature to 350F. Cook for 30 more minutes, or until the bread topping is golden and bubbling.
8. Serve & Enjoy
Remove from the smoker and let the mac & cheese cool for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!
PAIRING SUGGESTIONS
This French onion mac & cheese goes perfectly with my Peter Luger Style Steak, grilled filet mignon, smoked spare ribs, and smoked pulled pork.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Broiler option. If you want to get the baguette slices *really* crispy, feel free to add the cast iron pan under your broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.
- Use a sweet rub. I really liked using the sweet rub, I thought the Honey Garlic rub worked really well with the caramelized onions.
Smoked French Onion Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb cavatappi pasta
- 2 lbs yellow onions
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp BBQ rub
- 4 cups whole milk
- 16 oz Gruyère cheese hand-shredded
- 12 oz white cheddar cheese hand-shredded
- 1 baguette sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp garlic paste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the cavatappi pasta until just shy of al dente (1-2 minutes less than package instructions). Drain and set aside
- In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sliced onions and sprinkle with BBQ rub. Stir occasionally, adding a splash of water if needed to prevent sticking, and cook until the onions are golden and caramelized (about 20-30 minutes)
- In a cast-iron pan, combine the caramelized onions, milk, shredded white Cheddar, and shredded Gruyère. Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère for the topping later on
- Add the cheese sauce to your smoker and smoke at 250°F for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses are melted and all the ingredients are well-combined
- Remove the pan from the smoker and add the cooked pasta, mixing well with the melted cheese sauce so everything is evenly coated
- Spread a little of the garlic paste on each of the baguette slices. Arrange the bread slices on top of the mac and cheese to cover the dish. Sprinkle the reserved Gruyère cheese generously over the bread slices
- Return the pan to the smoker and increase the temperature to 350°F. Smoke for 30 more minutes, or until the bread topping is golden and bubbling
- Remove the pan from the smoker and let the mac and cheese cool for five minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Broiler option. If you want to get the baguette slices *really* crispy, feel free to add the cast iron pan under your broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end.
- Use a sweet rub. I really liked using the sweet rub, I thought the Honey Garlic rub worked really well with the caramelized onions.
