Älplermagronen – Swiss Macaroni Cheese

Älplermagronen is a Swiss macaroni cheese dish made with potato and served with caramelised onion, fried bacon, and apple sauce. The cheese sauce is simply made by gently melting together cream and Gruyère, or any other mature Swiss cheese.

This meal is comforting and indulgent, making it perfect for serving as a weekend family meal. I hadn’t heard about this dish until a few weeks ago but I know it’s going to be a new family favourite I make again, and again.

Älplermagronen history

Älplermagronen is the official German name for the dish. Other names include herdsman macaroni, Alpine macaroni, and alpen macaroni. The dish was invented in the 1930s and comprises of ingredients which were readily available to herdsmen watching over their cows’ grazing in the Alps.

Älplermagronen – Swiss macaroni cheese: Ingredients

This macaroni cheese is made of 4 main components: homemade caramelised onions, apple sauce, fried bacon, and macaroni cheese.

Caramelised onions:

• Butter or olive oil
• Onions 
• Salt
• Sugar

Apple sauce:

• Apples 
• Water

Bacon:

• Vegetable oil
• Vegan bacon

Macaroni cheese and potatoes:

• Potatoes 
• Macaroni
• Single cream
• Gruyère
• Nutmeg

How to make älplermagronen

Start by making the caramelised onions. Heat your olive oil or butter in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Season with salt and fry, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Sprinkle over the sugar and continue to fry for a further 20-30 minutes until the onions are golden and caramelised.

Whilst the onions are caramelising, make the apple sauce. This is very simple. Place your cubed apples into a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and gently simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is still lumpy, mash with a fork.

Next, fry your vegan bacon for 7-8 minutes until crispy. If you do not follow a vegetarian diet, you can use regular bacon.

Finally, it’s time to prepare the macaroni cheese and potatoes. Add the diced potatoes into a large saucepan and cover generously with salted water. Once boiling add in your pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return for the pot.

Add the cream into the saucepan and heat until it just starts bubbling. Stir through the grated cheese over a medium-low heat until melted. Season to taste with salt and freshly grated nutmeg.

Älplermagronen – Swiss macaroni cheese: Similar recipes

If you liked this recipe, check out more of my vegetarian pasta recipes:

• Pesto pasta bake
• Vegetarian sausage carbonara
• Spicy vodka rigatoni pasta bake
• Veggie creamy cajun pasta

Älplermagronen – Swiss macaroni cheese

5 from 1 vote

Swiss macaroni cheese with potatoes. Served with caramelised onions, bacon, and homemade apple sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 3 -4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Swiss

Calories: 1014

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Caramelised onion

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 2 brown onions finely sliced
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp sugar

Apple Sauce

• 2 large cooking apples peeled, cored, and diced
• 3 tbsp water

Bacon

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 8 vegan bacon rashers sliced into strips (or regular bacon, if you don't follow a vegetarian diet)

Macaroni

• 325g/11½oz (unpeeled weight) waxy potatoes peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
• 225g/8oz macaroni pasta
• ¾ cup/175ml single cream
• 200g/7oz grated Cheese Gruyere or another mature Swiss cheese
• nutmeg freshly grated

Method

 

Caramelised Onions

1. Start by making the caramelised onions
2. Heat the butter or olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add in the onions, season with a pinch of salt. Fry for 30 minutes, stirring often.
3. Sprinkle over the sugar, fry for a further 20-30 minutes until golden and caramelised. Take off the heat.

Apple Sauce

1. Whilst the onions caramelise, make the apple sauce.
2. Add the apples and water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring ocassionally.
3. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. If the sauce is still lumpy, mash gently with a fork.

Bacon

1. Whilst the apples cook, heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan.
2. Fry the vegan bacon, stirring often, until browned and crispy. This usually takes 7-8 minutes.
3. Set aside on kitchen towel.

Macaroni

1. Add the potatoes to a large saucepan and cover well with salted water. Bring to the boil. Add in the pasta and cook until al dente. (The potatoes will need around 10 minutes to boil. If your pasta cooks faster than this, allow the potatoes to boil for a few minutes before adding the pasta).
2. Drain the pasta and potatoes.
3. Return the pasta and potatoes to the saucepan. Add the cream and stir over a medium heat until the cream is almost bubbling.
4. Turn the heat to low. Add the grated cheese and continue to stir until it has all melted.
5. Season to taste with salt and freshly grated nutmeg.
6. Serve immediately topped with the caramelised onions and bacon. Serve with the apple sauce on the side.