Beer Mac-n-Cheez with Pretzel Topping

Okay, so it's no powder cheese mix in a box, but if you like tasty, warm, beery yumminess, then you might like this. :)  Yeah, it's hard to stop eating it once you start.  Mmmm.

Beer Mac-N-Cheez with Pretzel Topping

1-1/2 cups elbow macaroni (not cooked)
1/4 cup onion, minced
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 cup milk, room temp
1 cup beer, room temp
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pretzels, crushed

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with hot water then set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a deep pan and sauté onions until browned. Remove cooked onions from pan and set aside.

Give a quick wipe of the pan to “clean” it. Melt the remaining 3 tbsp butter over medium heat, then whisk in flour until smooth.

Whisk in milk and beer.

Add in cheeses and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until cheese is melted and the sauce thickens up a bit.

Put the cooked macaroni in large casserole dish and pour sauce over it. Stir gently together until macaroni is well-coated.

Crush up some pretzels.  I used small waffle pretzels and carefully bonked them with a meat tenderizer in a sandwich bag to crush.

Sprinkle the crushed pretzels over the cheesey 'noods and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.

NOTES

I used Yuengling (cuz I had some left over from a party), but you can use your favorite malted brew.  The only thing I would recommend is using something like a amber or a lager that has some umph to it to carry the flavor.

As far as pretzels go, small thin ones crush easier than big fat pretzels and you'll get more salted pretzel surface that way (versus the unsalted innards of the pretzel).

If you prefer your mac-n-cheez a little cheesier, you could probably add up to an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar without compromising the recipe.