Blue Onion Bistros Macaroni And Blue Cheese With Chives Recipes

BLUE ONION BISTRO'S MACARONI AND BLUE CHEESE WITH CHIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain and set aside (about 8 minutes).
• While the pasta is cooking, in a large heavy saucepan over medium low heat, melt the olive oil and butter together; add the flour and, stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute (don't let it brown), then gradually whisk in the milk and cream.
• Simmer mixture until it slightly thickens, whisking occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Reduce the temperature to low, then gradually stir in the grated cheddar and 1 cup of the blue cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts.
• Season to taste with salt, freshly ground pepper, and cayenne (if using).
• Stir in the cooked pasta, making sure it's well-coated with the sauce.
• Pour mixture into the buttered baking dish, sprinkle with the reserved 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the minced chives and serve.
• Note: also good with a serving of carmamelized onions and sauteed mushrooms; also, you can use 2% or skim milk instead of whole, but using whole is how they make it at the restaurant.

FRENCH ONION BAKED MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with the thyme, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and bouillon cube and stir to dissolve the bouillon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the Cheddar and 2 cups of the Gruyere until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with the melted butter. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Top with the onion mixture in an even layer, then cover with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere.
• Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 20 minutes. Top with the French fried onions and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the chives before serving.

MACARONI AND BLUE CHEESE WITH CHIVES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly (do not allow to brown).
• Gradually whisk in milk and cream. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add grated cheddar cheese and 1 cup crumbled blue cheese. Whisk until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Add cooked pasta to sauce; stir to coat. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese. Bake until sauce begins to bubble, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

MACARONI AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350* and butter 13x9 glass baking dish.
• Cook pasta (about 8 min) and drain.
• Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium to low heat, then add flour and cook 1 minute stirring constantly (do not allow to brown).
• Gradually whisk in cream and milk and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, whisking occasionally (about 3 minutes).
• Reduce heat to low and add grated cheddar cheese and only 1 cup blue cheese.
• Whisk about 2 minutes or when cheese starts to melt, then flavor with salt and pepper.
• Add cooked pasta to sauce, stirring to coat, and transfer mixture to 13x9 dish.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup blue cheese and bake about 25 minutes or until sauce begins to bubble.
• Sprinkle with chives and serve- enjoy!

BISTRO MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually whisk in milk and seasonings. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened., Reduce heat; stir in cheeses until melted. Stir in sour cream. Add macaroni; toss to coat. In a small skillet, heat remaining butter over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; cook and stir until golden brown. Sprinkle over top.

MENA'S BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH CARAMELIZED ONION

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, sugar, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until onions are caramel colored, 15 to 20 minutes. If mixture is too dry, add an additional tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, cover and set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast lightly for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Dissolve the dry mustard in an equal amount of water and add to the pot along with the garlic, and cayenne pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses until melted. Stir in the onions and season with salt and pepper. Add the drained macaroni and stir until blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with bread crumbs.
• Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

FRENCH ONION MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir onions, thyme, and bay leaf in the butter for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in beef broth and milk and bring to a boil; season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in Gruyere cheese until melted.
• Drain macaroni and toss with onion and sauce until well combined.

FRENCH ONION MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (If you're planning to bake the macaroni and cheese in a baking dish instead of a skillet, butter 9-by-13-inch baking dish or other 3-quart casserole.)
• Meanwhile, in a deep, large (12-inch) ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, baking sheet or foil and cook, stirring once or twice, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Uncover and continue to cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. If the onions look dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time to prevent them from burning, scraping up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the skillet. (You will need to do this several times.)
• While the onions are cooking, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until 2 minutes shy of al dente; drain and set aside. Rub one side of each baguette slice with garlic.
• When the onions are a deep golden brown, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and deglaze the skillet with the vinegar until evaporated, scraping up browned bits as you go, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour begins to stick to the bottom of the pan and has turned a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.
• Reserve 1 cup of the Gruyère. Carefully add the remaining Gruyère and all the Cheddar to the caramelized onion mixture and carefully stir until melted. If your pan is big enough, add the cooked pasta and stir to combine, or combine the sauce and pasta in the prepared dish.
• Spread the pasta mixture in an even layer in the prepared dish, then top with the baguette slices, garlic-side up. Sprinkle the toasts with the reserved 1 cup Gruyère and season with pepper. Place the skillet or dish on a sheet pan and bake until bubbly and brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes. If you like a crispier top, broil for a few minutes. Let cool slightly, then garnish with fresh thyme leaves.