What is the Swiss version of macaroni and cheese called?

In Switzerland, its macaroni and cheese is simply known as Älplermagronen (or Älplermagronen mit apfelmus). In Swiss-German, it is called Älplermagronen, which roughly translates as alpine macaroni. This dish is the classic Swiss version of the American macaroni and cheese. Some food experts and chefs like to say that it is heartier and has bolder flavors than the American version.

With their classic macaroni and cheese, many Swiss chefs start the dish by making a white sauce. For the cheese component, they like to use a really strong and aged Gruyère cheese, but any mild Gruyère or Emmentaler cheese will work too.

Crumbled crispy bacon in this dish is an obligatory garnish for most meat lovers. Plus some people even love to eat this dish with fried onion rings, which adds a lovely sweetness and crunch against the soft pasta. Also for many food connoisseurs what truly makes this dish uniquely Swiss is the small bowl of applesauce (or apple compote) served alongside.

When observing the Swiss eat this dish, there seems to be no hard and fast rule about whether the applesauce should be eaten together with the main dish or as a dessert. The tart sweetness of the applesauce is always a nice way to finish eating a rich and creamy plate of Älplermagronen.