Panera Mac and Cheese – Cookies and Cups

Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese Recipe

For those who’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 dwelling is straightforward and fast. You management the elements, get monetary savings, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
• Performed In About 20 Minutes! The whole lot is completed proper on the range prime very simply. It is a nice recipe for starting cooks.
• Scrumptious Taste! This recipe will simply change into a household favourite.

What You Will Want

The Panera Bread Mac and Cheese ingredient checklist is tremendous easy. You would possibly even have all the things in your kitchen proper now! Ensure that to scroll right down to the recipe card on the backside for the complete checklist of elements 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, reduce pasta will work! Simply prepare dinner it al dente so it holds a little bit chew because it sits within the cheese sauce and continues to prepare dinner a bit.
• Butter. I specify utilizing salted butter on this recipe as a result of it’s what I desire. 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 goal flour is what you want for this recipe.
• Pepper. Floor black pepper is the one extra seasoning within the ac and cheese recipe. I like a whole lot of black pepper, however be happy to make use of as a lot or as little as you like.
• Milk. You should utilize both 2% milk or complete milk on this recipe. I don’t  advocate 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 actually use yellow cheddar if that’s what you will 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 essentially getting the creamiest cheese sauce. Don’t skip the addition of the deli-sliced white American cheese!

Ideas On How To Make Panera Mac and Cheese

• Prep all of the elements earlier than beginning. This recipe comes collectively in a short time, so that you wish to have all the things on-hand and prepared if 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 things is completed about the identical time. However you may simply make the pasta earlier than hand and simply drain and preserve it lined and heat so as to add on the finish. The pasta would possibly stick collectively a bit, however it is going to be okay as soon as it’s blended into the cheese sauce.

What Makes Panera Mac and Cheese Particular

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s performed in minutes, it has nice taste, could be loved as a fast fundamental dish dinner or lunch, or perhaps a good dish dish at your prepare dinner out or BBQ.

Can You Use One other Sort Of Cheese?

There’s only a creaminess and texture that may’t be defined, due in-part to the three cheeses I used. I labored laborious to create this copycat recipe that’s each simple and scrumptious, with a creamy mix of cheeses. Is it actual? I can’t say for certain, however it’s fairly darn shut!

You possibly can actually sub in yellow cheddar and yellow American for the white cheddar and it’ll work completely. You may also use a special mix of cheese in the event you desire and use this recipe as a base to essentially make your personal!

Concepts To Add-In To Mac and Cheese

After all Panera Mac and Cheese is ideal as-is, there are tons of issues you may add to make it a full meal or amp of the flavour!

• Sizzling sauce. My husband ALWAYS provides scorching sauce to his mac and cheese. Doesn’t matter if it’s home made or from a field. He loves the warmth and tang that scorching sauce offers.
• Hen. Actually any sort of protein would work effectively in mac and cheese, however cooked rooster blended in is a straightforward approach to make this a full meal. And in the event you actually wish to take it there, attempt rooster nuggets blended in…SO GOOD!
• Chili. When you’ve got 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 trustworthy, 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’s going to lose a little bit of the creamy texture you may completely retailer this and luxuriate in it the day as leftovers. Merely cowl it in hermetic container and if you reheat it add a splash or 2 of milk as you prepare dinner it!