Alpine macaroni (älplermagronen or alpen macaroni) is basically Swiss mac and cheese made with potatoes. Macaroni and small cubes of potatoes are cooked together and coated in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. This cozy fall and winter comfort dish is finished with caramelized onions and crispy bacon lardons and is traditionally served with applesauce on the side.
Macaroni and cheese are a classic pairing loved all over the world. This popular comfort food comes in many styles, shapes, and variations, depending on cooking methods and added ingredients. This hearty Swiss mac and cheese version is especially rich, filling, and comforting.
The official German name for this dish is älplermagronen, but it is also known as Alpine macaroni, alpen macaroni, or herdsman macaroni. The recipe dates back to the 1930s and was created using simple ingredients that were easy for herdsmen to carry while watching their cows graze in the Swiss Alps.
This is a very rustic recipe that includes hollow, tube-shaped macaroni, potatoes, cheese, and onions as the base ingredients. Popular additions to älplermagronen include crispy bacon and slightly sweet applesauce. This Alpine macaroni recipe feels both elegant and cozy, making it perfect for warming up family and friends on a cold winter night.
Ingredient notes
Macaroni:
Macaroni:
Any type of tubular macaroni works well for herdsman macaroni. I use ziti, but penne, cavatappi, cellentani, and elbow macaroni are also great options. Traditional Swiss macaroni shapes include hörnli, which is similar to elbow pasta, and älpler-magronä, which looks like thin ziti.
Potatoes:
Use waxy potatoes like Yukon gold, as they hold their shape better when boiled. Floury potatoes such as russets tend to break apart during cooking. One large potato (around 10 ounces) works perfectly. Peel and cut it into ½-inch cubes. If prepping ahead, keep the potatoes covered in water to prevent browning.
Cream:
You can use light cream, single cream, half-and-half, or a mix of heavy cream and milk. Milk fat percentages vary by country, but aiming for about 18–22% milk fat works best. Don’t worry if you go slightly above or below this range.
Cheese:
Swiss mac and cheese needs high-quality Swiss cheese. Appenzeller or Gruyère are ideal choices. Grate the cheese yourself using a box grater for best results. French Comté cheese also works well due to its similar flavor
Bacon:
Bacon is optional but highly recommended unless you’re vegetarian or kosher. Use thick-cut bacon and slice it into ¼-inch strips to make bacon lardons. Lardons are simply thick pieces of bacon cut into matchstick shapes, and they add great flavor and texture.
Caramelized Onions:
Any type of onion works—sweet onions aren’t required. I use regular brown onions, but red onions are fine too. Cook them slowly in butter or bacon fat, being patient so they soften and turn golden without burning.
Applesauce:
Homemade unsweetened applesauce is easy and highly recommended, but store-bought unsweetened applesauce works in a pinch. Sweetened applesauce can be used, but avoid overly sweet versions. Granny Smith, McIntosh, or Golden Delicious apples are great choices for making it at home.
How to Make it
Even though bacon lardons are optional, I strongly suggest making them. Add the ¼-inch bacon strips to a cold frying pan and turn the heat to medium.
Cook the bacon, stirring often, until the fat melts out and the bacon becomes golden and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on bacon thickness and personal preference. Remove the bacon lardons using a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Next, prepare the caramelized onions. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-low heat. If you cooked bacon, you can use 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat instead. Simply pour off the extra fat and keep about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Add the onions, season with salt, and cook slowly, stirring regularly, until they are soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Set aside once done.
While the onions are cooking, make the applesauce to save time. Add the apples and water to a saucepan and cover.
Simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring once or twice, until the apples are very soft, about 20 minutes. Mash them with a fork until smooth, then set aside.
All of these steps can be done ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If the bacon softens, simply reheat it in a frying pan for a minute or two to make it crispy again.
To continue, add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover well with salted water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni is just al dente and the potatoes are tender.
Cooking time depends on the pasta shape—ziti usually takes about 10 minutes. Drain well.
Return the drained macaroni and potatoes to the pot. Add the cream and heat over medium, stirring for about a minute until warmed. Add the grated cheese, a little salt, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Stir gently until the cheese melts into a thick, creamy sauce. This happens quickly, so be careful not to overmix or break the potatoes.
Serve the Alpine macaroni on plates, topped with caramelized onions and crispy bacon lardons if using. Serve applesauce on the side.
There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy Alpine macaroni. Some people mix applesauce directly into the pasta, while others eat it separately as a dessert. The applesauce helps balance the richness of the cheese, so enjoy it however you like.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions.
Expert Tips
- Storage instructions:
Alpine macaroni tastes best when served fresh, but leftovers can be stored. Transfer them to a small baking dish, top with remaining onions and bacon, and cover tightly with foil. Refrigerate for 3 to 5 days or freeze for 1 to 2 months. - Reheating instructions:
If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°F. Heat the covered dish for 30 to 40 minutes until warmed through. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to get bubbly cheese and crispy bacon. A quick broil at the end works well too.
Time Saving and make ahead tips
Save time by cooking the onions and applesauce at the same time in separate pans. While the onions finish, you can start boiling the potatoes.
Use store-bought unsweetened applesauce if needed.
Prepare the applesauce, bacon lardons, and caramelized onions up to 4 days ahead and store them in the fridge.
Grate the cheese and cube the potatoes in advance. Keep potatoes covered with water to prevent browning.
If you’ve never tried älplermagronen, now is the perfect time. This rustic Swiss mac and cheese is rich, comforting, and incredibly delicious!
Älplermagronen (Swiss Alpine Macaroni and Cheese)
Alpine macaroni (älplermagronen or alpen macaroni) is a Swiss-style mac and cheese made with potatoes. Macaroni and cubed potatoes are coated in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. This cozy fall and winter classic is topped with caramelized onions and crispy bacon lardons and served with applesauce on the side.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Swiss
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
Bacon Lardons (Optional):
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
Caramelized Onions:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (or 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from the lardons)
- 2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
Applesauce:
- 3 apples, peeled, cored, and cubed (such as Granny Smith, McIntosh, or Golden Delicious)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
Macaroni:
- 10 ounces (280 grams) waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 1 large potato)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) tubular macaroni (such as ziti, penne, cavatappi, cellentani, elbows, or hörnli)
- ¾ cup half-and-half, light cream, or single cream (aim for about 18–22% milk fat; you can also use an equal mix of heavy cream and milk)
- 8 ounces (225 grams / about 2 cups) grated Appenzeller or Gruyère cheese (or another mature Swiss Alpine cheese)
- Kosher salt and freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions:
- To make the bacon lardons: Add the bacon pieces to a cold frying pan and set the heat to medium. Cook the lardons, stirring often, until the fat releases and the bacon becomes golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- To make the caramelized onions: In a frying pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. You can also cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat if you made bacon lardons for the topping. Simply use the same pan and remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onions, season with salt, and cook slowly, stirring often, until the onions are soft and golden, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
- To make the applesauce: Add the apples and water to a saucepan and cover. Simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring once or twice, until the apples are completely soft, about 20 minutes. Mash with a fork until smooth and set aside.
- To make the macaroni: Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover well with salted water. Bring to a boil, then add the macaroni. Continue cooking until the macaroni is just al dente and the potatoes are tender. Cooking time depends on the pasta shape. Ziti takes about 10 minutes. If using a smaller pasta with a shorter cook time, such as elbows that take 7 to 8 minutes, boil the potatoes for a few minutes before adding the macaroni. Drain the macaroni and potatoes.
- Return the drained macaroni and potatoes to the pot. Add the cream and place over medium heat. Stir until the cream starts to warm, about one minute. Add the grated cheese, a little salt, and some freshly grated nutmeg. Keep stirring until the cheese melts into a thick, creamy sauce.
- Serve the cheesy Alpine macaroni on individual plates. Top with caramelized onions and crispy bacon lardons if desired, and serve applesauce on the side to enjoy either with the macaroni or afterwards as dessert, based on personal preference.
Notes:
- This recipe can easily be cut in half. You can make a little extra applesauce by using 2 apples instead of 1½, or simply eat the remaining half apple as a snack. Half of ¾ cup of cream equals 6 tablespoons, or ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons.
- Shortcuts and advance prep:
- You can use store-bought unsweetened applesauce instead of making it from scratch.
- The applesauce, bacon lardons, and caramelized onions can all be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Grate the cheese in advance to make the final cooking step faster and easier. - Although this dish is usually served as a stovetop mac and cheese, you can prepare it ahead of time, transfer it to a casserole dish, and bake it later when ready to reheat and serve. This method also works very well for reheating leftovers.
- Alpine macaroni is creamiest when served right away, but follow these steps if you need to store or reheat leftovers:
- Transfer the macaroni to a small baking dish. Top with the remaining caramelized onions and bacon, then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days, or freeze in a freezer bag for 1 to 2 months.
- To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 375°F. Heat the foil-covered dish of Swiss mac and cheese for 30 to 40 minutes, until fully heated through. Cooking time may vary based on the size and shape of the dish, how full it is, and how cold it is when placed in the oven. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to make the dish bubbly and the bacon crispy. A quick minute under the broiler also works well.
Nutrition:
Calories: 648kcal
Carbohydrates: 43g
Protein: 22g
Fat: 39g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Sodium: 292mg
Sugar: 14g