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 could 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!

• Straightforward To Make! Making this dish at residence is easy and fast. You management the substances, lower your expenses, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
• Carried out In About 20 Minutes! Every little thing is completed proper on the range high very simply. It is a nice recipe for starting cooks.
• Scrumptious Taste! This recipe will simply grow to be a household favourite.

What You Will Want

The Panera Bread Mac and Cheese ingredient record is tremendous easy. You may even have every part in your kitchen proper now! Ensure to scroll right 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 simply discover, however I all the time have shells on-hand, so I exploit these too. Any quick, reduce pasta will work! Simply prepare dinner it al dente so it holds slightly 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 choose. You should utilize unsalted butter as nicely. The one added salt on this recipe is what you utilize 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 at liberty to make use of as a lot or as little as you like.
• Milk. You should utilize both 2% milk or entire 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 exploit a light white cheddar cheese. You’ll be able to actually use yellow cheddar if that’s what you’ve got! The end result 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!

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 every part 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 start out the water boiling for my pasta on the identical time I soften the butter for the sauce, that method every part is completed about the identical time. However you possibly can simply make the pasta earlier than hand and simply drain and maintain it lined and heat so as to add on the finish. The pasta may stick collectively a bit, however it will likely 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 executed in minutes, it has nice taste, may be loved as a fast major dish dinner or lunch, or perhaps a good dish dish at your prepare dinner out or BBQ.

Can You Use One other Kind 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 arduous to create this copycat recipe that’s each simple and scrumptious, with a creamy mix of cheeses. Is it precise? I can’t say for positive, however it’s fairly darn shut!

You’ll be able to actually sub in yellow cheddar and yellow American for the white cheddar and it’ll work completely. It’s also possible to use a special mix of cheese should you choose 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 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 selfmade or from a field. He loves the warmth and tang that scorching sauce offers.
• Rooster. Actually any form of protein would work nicely in mac and cheese, however cooked hen combined in is a straightforward option to make this a full meal. And should you actually need to take it there, strive hen nuggets combined in…SO GOOD!
• Chili. When you’ve got some leftover chili, including a scoop on high 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 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 would 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 if you reheat it add a splash or 2 of milk as you prepare dinner it!