Panera Mac and Cheese – Cookies and Cups

Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese Recipe

In case you’ve by no means tried it, you is likely to 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 dwelling is easy and fast. You management the substances, get monetary savings, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
• Achieved In About 20 Minutes! Every little thing is completed proper on the range prime 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 would possibly even have every thing in your kitchen proper now! Be sure that to scroll right down to the recipe card on the backside for the complete checklist of substances and directions!

• Pasta. Panera makes use of Pipette Rigate, which you’ll be able to simply discover, however I at all times have shells on-hand, so I exploit these too. Any brief, lower pasta will work! Simply prepare dinner it al dente so it holds a bit 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 desire. You should utilize unsalted butter as effectively. 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 function 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 quite a lot of black pepper, however be at liberty 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 exploit a light white cheddar cheese. You’ll be able to actually use yellow cheddar if that’s what you’ve got! The consequence would be the similar, 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 substances earlier than beginning. This recipe comes collectively in a short time, so that you wish to have every thing 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 similar time I soften the butter for the sauce, that method every thing is completed about the identical time. However you possibly can 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 will probably 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 accomplished in minutes, it has nice taste, may be loved as a fast primary 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 exhausting 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’ll be able to actually sub in yellow cheddar and yellow American for the white cheddar and it’ll work completely. You can even use a unique mix of cheese for those who desire and use this recipe as a base to essentially make your personal!

Concepts To Add-In To Mac and Cheese

In fact 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 sizzling 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 sizzling sauce offers.
• Rooster. Actually any type of protein would work effectively in mac and cheese, however cooked rooster blended in is a straightforward strategy to make this a full meal. And for those who actually wish to take it there, strive rooster nuggets blended in…SO GOOD!
• Chili. You probably have some leftover chili, including a scoop on prime 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 can 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!