Älplermagronen (Swiss Mac and Cheese)
This Älplermagronen recipe comes straight from Switzerland! It's a Swiss-style mac and cheese with yellow potatoes, bacon, onion, and served with applesauce on the side.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 641kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces center-cut bacon cut into small pieces
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter if needed
- 1 pound yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 12 ounces macaroni (or any short tube pasta)
- Salt for the pasta water
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese freshly shredded
- 6 ounces Emmentaler cheese freshly shredded
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- ½ to 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water as needed
- Applesauce for serving
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the Dutch oven.
- Add the onions to the bacon drippings. If the Dutch oven seems dry, add the butter. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and deep golden brown. Transfer the onions to a plate and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the pasta and continue cooking until the pasta is just barely al dente and the potatoes are fork tender. Cook the pasta about 1 minute less than the package directions. Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add the drained pasta and potatoes to the Dutch oven. Pour in the heavy cream and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Heat gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, just until everything is hot. Do not let the cream come to a boil.
- Remove the Dutch oven from the heat. Reserve about 1 cup of the shredded Gruyère and Emmentaler for the top. Add the remaining cheese a handful at a time, gently stirring until melted and creamy.
- Stir in about two-thirds of the bacon and caramelized onions. Add the black pepper and nutmeg. Add additional pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce is very creamy and slightly looser than you want the finished dish to be.
- Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over the top. Place the Dutch oven in the oven about 5 to 6 inches below the broiler. Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Sprinkle the remaining bacon and caramelized onions over the top.
- Let the Älplermagronen rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot with cold or room-temperature applesauce on the side.
Notes
- Stovetop variation: For a version without the browned top, stir all the shredded cheese into the pasta off the heat instead of reserving some for broiling. Finish with the bacon and onions.
- Broiler safety: Make sure your Dutch oven and its handles are broiler-safe. Otherwise, transfer the pasta to a broiler-safe baking dish before browning the cheese.
- Pasta timing: If using another short pasta shape instead of penne, adjust the cooking time so the potatoes are tender and the pasta is just barely al dente.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 407mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 981IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 453mg | Iron: 1mg