If you happen to’re a fan of Panera Mac and Cheese, now you can make it at house with this straightforward recipe. It delivers creamy, tacky pasta that tastes identical to the restaurant model.
If you happen to’ve by no means tried it, you may be questioning, “Is Panera Mac and Cheese good?” And I’m right here to reply that for you! Sure, it’s REALLY good. It’s tremendous creamy, tacky, and flavorful. It’s one of many stand-out, evergreen objects on their menu that I can’t think about they ever discontinue!
Simple To Make! Making this dish at house is straightforward and fast. You management the substances, get monetary savings, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
Performed In About 20 Minutes! All the things is completed proper on the range prime very simply. It is a nice recipe for starting cooks.
Scrumptious Taste! This recipe will simply develop into a household favourite.
What You Will Want
The Panera Bread Mac and Cheese ingredient record is tremendous easy. You may even have all the pieces in your kitchen proper now! Make certain to scroll all the way down to the recipe card on the backside for the total record of substances and directions!
Pasta. Panera makes use of Pipette Rigate, which you’ll be able to simply discover, however I all the time have shells on-hand, so I take advantage of these too. Any quick, lower pasta will work! Simply cook dinner it al dente so it holds somewhat chunk because it sits within the cheese sauce and continues to cook dinner a bit.
Butter. I specify utilizing salted butter on this recipe as a result of it’s what I favor. You should utilize unsalted butter as effectively. The one added salt on this recipe is what you employ to salt the pasta water in addition to the salt that exists within the cheese.
Flour. Common all objective flour is what you want for this recipe.
Pepper. Floor black pepper is the one further seasoning within the ac and cheese recipe. I like a number of black pepper, however be happy to make use of as a lot or as little as you favor.
Milk. You should utilize both 2% milk or complete milk on this recipe. I don’t suggest 1% milk, skim milk, or almond milk for the creamiest outcomes.
Cheddar Cheese. To make this an actual copycat Panera recipe I take advantage of a light white cheddar cheese. You possibly can definitely use yellow cheddar if that’s what you might have! The outcome would be the identical, simply the flavour will differ barely.
Parmesan Cheese. The addition of parmesan cheese enhances the cheddar with out making the sauce too “sharp”. Panera mac and cheese has a light taste, so that you don’t need an excessive amount of Parmesan.
American Cheese. That is the “secret ingredient” to actually getting the creamiest cheese sauce. Don’t skip the addition of the deli-sliced white American cheese!
Suggestions On How To Make Panera Mac and Cheese
Prep all of the substances earlier than beginning. This recipe comes collectively in a short time, so that you need to have all the pieces on-hand and prepared whenever you want it!
Use high-quality white cheddar: This provides the mac and cheese its signature style. You don’t want to make use of an aged cheddar or something tremendous sharp, however a pleasant, creamy white cheddar will make the sauce further scrumptious.
Cooking the pasta: I like to begin the water boiling for my pasta on the identical time I soften the butter for the sauce, that method all the pieces is completed about the identical time. However you possibly can simply make the pasta earlier than hand and simply drain and preserve it coated and heat so as to add on the finish. The pasta may stick collectively a bit, however will probably be okay as soon as it’s combined into the cheese sauce.
What Makes Panera Mac and Cheese Particular
The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it’s carried out in minutes, it has nice taste, will be loved as a fast most important dish dinner or lunch, or perhaps a good dish dish at your cook dinner out or BBQ.
Can You Use One other Sort Of Cheese?
There may be only a creaminess and texture that may’t be defined, due in-part to the three cheeses I used. I labored arduous to create this copycat recipe that’s each straightforward and scrumptious, with a creamy mix of cheeses. Is it actual? I can’t say for positive, however it’s fairly darn shut!
You possibly can definitely sub in yellow cheddar and yellow American for the white cheddar and it’ll work completely. You can even use a distinct mix of cheese if you happen to favor and use this recipe as a base to actually make your individual!
Concepts To Add-In To Mac and Cheese
After all Panera Mac and Cheese is ideal as-is, there are tons of issues you possibly can add to make it a full meal or amp of the flavour!
Scorching sauce. My husband ALWAYS provides scorching sauce to his mac and cheese. Doesn’t matter if it’s do-it-yourself or from a field. He loves the warmth and tang that scorching sauce provides.
Rooster. Actually any sort of protein would work effectively in mac and cheese, however cooked rooster combined in is a straightforward method to make this a full meal. And if you happen to actually need to take it there, attempt rooster nuggets combined in…SO GOOD!
Chili. When you have some leftover chili, including a scoop on prime of this mac and cheese creates probably the most scrumptious Chili Mac!
How To Retailer Panera Mac and Cheese
I’ll be sincere, this recipe is finest the identical day you make it, loved heat. Macaroni and cheese tends to lose its creaminess the longer it sits. That’s simply the best way it really works when you find yourself utilizing actual cheese. Whereas it should lose a little bit of the creamy texture you possibly can completely retailer this and revel in it the day as leftovers. Merely cowl it in hermetic container and whenever you reheat it add a splash or 2 of milk as you cook dinner it!
It is a spot-on copycat model of Panera Mac and Cheese. It’s tremendous straightforward to make and takes lower than 20 minutes from begin to end. Everybody loves this one!
3 1/2 cups medium shell pasta
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 cup all objective flour
1/4 teaspoon contemporary floor black pepper
2 1/2 cups 2% or complete milk
2 cups contemporary shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup contemporary shredded parmesan cheese
4 slices deli-style white American cheese, torn into items
Deliver a big pot (5 – 6 quarts) of water to a boil. Add within the salt and stir. Add within the pasta and cook dinner based on the bundle instructions. Drain and put aside.
Whereas the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan soften the butter over medium-low warmth. As soon as the butter is melted, whisk within the flour and cook dinner for 1 -2 minutes till clean. Add within the black pepper after which slowly add within the milk, whisking consistently.
Deliver the milk combination to a boil, stirring steadily so the milk doesn’t scald. As soon as it’s reached a boil, stir consistently for two minutes till thickened.
Flip the warmth instantly to low and add within the cheddar, parmesan, and American cheese, stirring till clean. Add within the cooked pasta and stir till coated.
Season with extra pepper if desired and serve instantly.
Notes
The sort of mac and cheese is all the time finest when loved the identical day. You possibly can all the time retailer hermetic within the fridge and reheat within the microwave with a splash of milk!
