For those who’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.
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 gadgets on their menu that I can’t think about they ever discontinue!
Straightforward To Make! Making this dish at house is easy and fast. You management the elements, get monetary savings, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
Carried out In About 20 Minutes! The whole lot is finished proper on the range high very simply. It is a nice recipe for starting cooks.
Scrumptious Taste! This recipe will simply turn into a household favourite.
What You Will Want
The Panera Bread Mac and Cheese ingredient checklist is tremendous easy. You may even have all the pieces in your kitchen proper now! Be sure that to scroll right down to the recipe card on the backside for the total checklist of elements and directions!
Pasta. Panera makes use of Pipette Rigate, which you’ll simply discover, however I at all times have shells on-hand, so I exploit these too. Any quick, lower pasta will work! Simply prepare dinner it al dente so it holds somewhat chunk 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 choose. You should use unsalted butter as properly. 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 plenty of black pepper, however be happy to make use of as a lot or as little as you like.
Milk. You should use 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 exploit a light white cheddar cheese. You possibly can actually use yellow cheddar if that’s what you’ve! 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 elements earlier than beginning. This recipe comes collectively in a short time, so that you wish to have all the pieces on-hand and prepared whenever you want it!
Use high-quality white cheddar: This offers 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 start out the water boiling for my pasta on the identical time I soften the butter for the sauce, that method all the pieces is finished about the identical time. However you possibly can simply make the pasta earlier than hand and simply drain and hold it coated and heat so as to add on the finish. The pasta may 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 finished in minutes, it has nice taste, could be loved as a fast essential 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 straightforward and scrumptious, with a creamy mix of cheeses. Is it precise? 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 can even use a distinct mix of cheese when you choose and use this recipe as a base to actually 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 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 home made or from a field. He loves the warmth and tang that scorching sauce provides.
Rooster. Actually any sort of protein would work properly in mac and cheese, however cooked hen blended in is a straightforward method to make this a full meal. And when you actually wish to take it there, strive hen nuggets blended in…SO GOOD!
Chili. When you have some leftover chili, including a scoop on high of this mac and cheese creates essentially the most scrumptious Chili Mac!
How To Retailer Panera Mac and Cheese
I’ll be trustworthy, this recipe is greatest 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 prepare 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 goal flour
1/4 teaspoon recent floor black pepper
2 1/2 cups 2% or complete milk
2 cups recent shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup recent shredded parmesan cheese
4 slices deli-style white American cheese, torn into items
Convey a big pot (5 – 6 quarts) of water to a boil. Add within the salt and stir. Add within the pasta and prepare dinner based on the package deal 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 prepare dinner for 1 -2 minutes till clean. Add within the black pepper after which slowly add within the milk, whisking continuously.
Convey the milk combination to a boil, stirring regularly so the milk doesn’t scald. As soon as it’s reached a boil, stir continuously 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
This sort of mac and cheese is at all times greatest when loved the identical day. You possibly can at all times retailer hermetic within the fridge and reheat within the microwave with a splash of milk!
