For when you need an easy, comforting meal at home, I recommend making a Swiss-style macaroni and cheese. Known as Älplermagronen (German) or Macaroni de Chalet (French), this dish often contains boiled, diced potatoes. I’ve omitted this ingredient from my version, due to some strong preferences among my family members. You’ll usually receive applesauce with this dish, but fresh apple slices served on the side works too.
I grew up eating many different versions of macaroni and cheese in the United States — with Velveeta, from a box, and baked with breadcrumbs on top, etc. What makes Älplermagronen special for me is the flavor of the Gruyère cheese, and especially the crispy, browned onions served on top. If you don’t have a Swiss cheese for this dish, feel free to try using another semi-hard cheese.
An easy recipe for lunch or dinner
Swiss Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1-2 onions (about 1 cup)
- 1-2 tablespoons flour
- 2-3 tablespoons butter
- 500 g (1 lb.) macaroni
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 200 g (7 oz.) Gruyère cheese (or another semi-hard cheese, such as Appenzeller or Emmentaler)
- 100 ml milk
- 100 ml light cream
- a pinch of nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Directions
- Start cooking the macaroni, according to the directions on the package.
- While the macaroni is cooking, slice the onions very thinly, with a mandoline, for example. Place them in a bowl and toss them with the flour until they are well coated. In a frying pan, melt the 1-2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry them (perhaps in batches, depending on the size of your pan) for about 5-10 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are browned and crispy. When they’re done, transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel or parchment paper. Set them aside.
- Drain the pasta. In the pot you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour to the pan and whisk it together with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to create a smooth paste. Add the milk, cream, grated cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. Stir almost constantly over medium to medium-high heat until the cheese has fully melted and the mixture has begun to thicken.
- Add the hot pasta to the pot with the cheese sauce and stir until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve immediately topped with the crispy onions and chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
Swiss recipes for cooking at home
For more easy Swiss dishes to make at home, please check out my other recipes for Riz Casimir, Pain Paysan, Tatsch and more.
Categories: Alpine food, apples, Cheese, Lunch/dinner, milk, Pasta, Recipes, Swiss, Swiss food, Switzerland
We just had that yesterday! It’s pure soul food. In our family there have to be potatoes in it, and we cook the pasta and the diced potatoes right in a spiced mix of milk and water, just enough to keep it slightly soaked. We add constantly of this mixture while stirring slowly. This makes already a quite a cheesy sauce. Less cheese needed in the end, yummy!
Hi Suzy! So nice! I like it with the potatoes too, but one person in my household absolutely won’t eat boiled potatoes or applesauce. So, this is my modified version. I’m glad you mentioned this method for other people who would prefer to include the potatoes. Thanks for your continued support. I hope you’re doing well and staying safe/healthy. Best wishes, -Heddi
We are in confinement (France) and well, thank you. Luckily we are blocked in a very nice port in Burgundy, close to nature and a nice little town. Stay healthy too, best wishes, Suzy
Glad to hear this. We’re also thankful to still be able to escape to the forest for a walk. I hope you’re adjusting well to this new reality. You take care too!
Heddi, this looked so tasty that I sent it around to a few friends. People were happy to even just gaze at it! Some will be making it for dinner tonight. The ingredients are easy to come by even now.Thanks for sharing it.
Gramantha
Thanks, Amantha! Very sweet of you to do this. I really appreciate it. xo
That sounds like just the thing in these difficult times. Thank you!
Hi Stella! I hope you’re staying safe and healthy. Lots of home cooking and baking going on here… I hope to post more easy recipes soon. Take care, -Heddi
Delicious 😋
Thanks!
😊
I love mac and cheese and your recipe looks delish. Can’t wait to try it.
Oh, thank you so much! I hope you will like it.