Swiss Mac and Cheese (Älplermagronen)
Swiss mac and cheese includes chunks of potatoes and is topped with caramelized onion and crispy bacon and served with applesauce! What’s not to love about this Alpine meal?
One of my favorite dishes to order when I visit Switzerland is their Swiss mac and cheese, or älplermagronen.
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It’s a comfort food that is perfect for cold, winter days, like raclette, but even in California, I love Swiss mac and cheese when the weather is just a bit cooler.
If you’ve already been to Switzerland and tried this dish, I know you’ll be delighted to make it in your own kitchen. And if you’ve never been, or didn’t try it when you visited, I’m betting you’ll still love this cheesy pasta recipe, and you can look forward to ordering it when you go to Switzerland! Note: this dish can also be written as älpler magrone or älplermagrone.
What is Swiss Mac and Cheese or Älplermagronen?
Alplermagronen (mountain pasta, for a simple translation) is a comfort food dish from Switzerland which grew out of necessity from the herdsmen who brought pasta up the mountain with them as an easy to carry food (dry, uncooked pasta.) They had plenty of milk, cream and cheese to mix with the pasta. It was more of a luxury in the 1930s, when this dish was created, so pasta was cooked with potatoes to make it go further (Italians do this too.) In fact, some of the credit of this recipe goes to Italians, as they were working on the Gotthard Tunnel in the late 19th century and brought pasta with them which spread its popularity -Wikipedia.
Visit Glacier Paradise from Zermatt, Switzerland
How to Make Swiss Mac and Cheese
In this Swiss macaroni and cheese recipe, the pasta and potatoes are cooked together, and then the dairy and cheese is added. The onion is caramelized and served atop, and bacon/pancetta is optional, but if you eat meat, why on earth would you leave it out, right?!
If you love potatoes, cheese, onions and bacon, I have a French recipe for you: tartiflette!
It is also normally served with a side of apple sauce or apple compote. However, my Swiss cookbook, A Taste of Switzerland, by Sue Style states that it is traditionally served with apple slices tossed in butter with cinnamon-sugar. I’ll leave that decision up to you.
Swiss Mac and Cheese (Älplermagrone)
Adapted from A Taste of Switzerland (from a Swiss Cheese Union booklet on Sbrinz cheese) and a MySwitzerland recipe which is no longer online Serves 4
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- bacon or pancetta (optional)
- onion
- salt
- milk
- heavy whipping cream
- pasta
- potatoes
- black pepper
- nutmeg
- Gruyere cheese
To serve: applesauce or apples tossed in butter with cinnamon sugar.
Special equipment: cheese grater
Directions
Prepare the Toppings
If using, start by frying the bacon or pancetta until desired crispness is acheived. Remove from pan, and set aside on paper towel lined plate, but keep the bacon grease.
Add the sliced onion to the same pan where you fried the bacon, and sprinkle with a little salt. Fry over medium high heat, turning every few minutes until caramelized. You’ll continue cooking the onions while making the pasta and potatoes in another pot.
Cook the Pasta and Potatoes
Place the milk and cream in a large pot over medium heat, stir so it doesn’t stick, and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta.
Then add the cubes of potatoes and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook until al dente. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
Next, add the cheese and stir until all the ingredients are mixed and cheese has melted. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed.
When onions are caramelized, remove from heat.
How to Serve Swiss Mac and Cheese
Divide the Swiss macaroni and potatoes into four bowls or plates.
Top each bowl evenly with the caramelized onion and bacon/pancetta (if using.) Serve immediately, with side dishes of applesauce or cinnamon apples.
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If you’ve never been to Switzerland, I urge you to learn more about this incredibly beautiful country!
Swiss Mac and Cheese (Älplermagronen)
Special Equipment
- 1 grater
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon chopped, or pancetta pieces (both are optional)
- 1 onion large, sliced thinly
- 1 tsp salt sea salt, like Maldon (divided)
- 8 cups milk whole milk
- 4 oz heavy whipping cream
- 12 oz pasta short pasta, such as penne or ziti
- 12 oz potatoes
- ⅛ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- pinch nutmeg freshly ground
- 4 oz Gruyere cheese Sbrinz cheese is even better, if you can find it
Instructions
- If using, start by frying the bacon or pancetta until desired crispness is acheived. Remove from pan, and set aside on paper towel lined plate, but keep the bacon grease.
- Add the sliced onion to the same pan where you fried the bacon, and sprinkle with a ½ tsp salt. Fry over medium high heat, turning every few minutes until caramelized. You’ll continue cooking the onions while making the pasta and potatoes in another pot.
- Place the milk and cream in a large pot over medium heat, stir so it doesn’t stick, and bring to a boil.
- Add ½ tsp salt, pasta and potatoes, and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook until al dente, stirring frequently. Add black pepper and nutmeg when the pasta is ready.
- Next, add the cheese and stir until all the ingredients are mixed and cheese has melted. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed.
- When onions are caramelized, remove from heat.
- Divide the Swiss macaroni and potatoes into four bowls or plates.
- Top each bowl evenly with the caramelized onion and bacon/pancetta (if using.) Serve immediately, with side dishes of applesauce or cinnamon apples.
Notes
- My most important tip is to cut the potatoes so that they will cook about the same time as the pasta. Use your best judgement, but don’t make the potato cubes tiny or very large for best results.
- Don’t cover the pot with the lid while cooking and keep a close eye on the pasta and potatoes, stirring often so it doesn’t stick.
- Traditionally, egg pasta was used in this dish.
- Sbrinz cheese is a more classic choice for this dish, but in the US, use a melty cheese such as Gruyere (look for the mark of authenticity on the label.)
- If there isn’t enough bacon fat to fry the onions, add some butter.
Nutrition
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I’ve made this recipe three times now, and everyone loves it. Even without the applesauce (and the addition of cauliflower which I took the liberty of doing) it is amazing. I look forward to reading your blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to write it and share all these great around the world recipes with us.
This makes me so happy, Nina! Thank you!
Had this in Switzerland and had to try this recipe. So good! Feels like being back in Switzerland!
Yay! Happy to hear it!
What a lovely variation to mac and cheese – and love the addition of apple sauce. Had never heard of this until today so thanks for the explanations.
Christina, this recipe made me smile when I saw it in today’s email Inbox. I visited Zurich for several days and also Basel before starting a Rhine cruise. One of my best friends in AZ is from Switzerland and a girlfriend lives in Maldon (salt)–what a happy combo for this delicious-sounding recipe, thank you! I will be making it soon.
Your recipe calls for 8 cups of milk. That’s a lot of milk. Did you mean 8 oz?
Hi Judy, the pasta and potatoes cook in the milk, so no it’s correct. The pasta and potatoes were adjusted as I realized I hadn’t fixed those before publishing. Let me know if you try it!
We love Mac and Cheese and this Swiss version sounds incredible. The caramelized onions really appeal, especially with pancetta on top. Thanks for the introduction to this recipe — I look forward to making it.