When you’re a fan of Panera Mac and Cheese, now you can make it at residence with this straightforward recipe. It delivers creamy, tacky pasta that tastes identical to the restaurant model.
Be certain that to take a look at my tried and true Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe too!
Why You’ll Love This Mac and Cheese Recipe
When 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 residence is straightforward and fast. You management the components, get monetary savings, and skip the journey to the restaurant.
- Carried out In About 20 Minutes! Every thing is finished proper on the range prime very simply. This can be 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 checklist is tremendous easy. You may even have the whole lot in your kitchen proper now! Be certain that to scroll right down to the recipe card on the backside for the complete checklist of components 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, reduce pasta will work! Simply prepare dinner it al dente so it holds a little 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 choose. You need to use unsalted butter as nicely. 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 variety of black pepper, however be at liberty to make use of as a lot or as little as you favor.
- Milk. You need to use 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 may definitely use yellow cheddar if that’s what you may have! The end result 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 actually 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 components earlier than beginning. This recipe comes collectively in a short time, so that you need to have the whole lot 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 additional scrumptious.
- Cooking the pasta: I like to start out the water boiling for my pasta on the similar time I soften the butter for the sauce, that means the whole lot is finished about the identical time. However you’ll be able to simply make the pasta earlier than hand and simply drain and maintain it coated 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 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, will be loved as a fast predominant 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 onerous 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 certain, however it’s fairly darn shut!
You may definitely sub in yellow cheddar and yellow American for the white cheddar and it’ll work completely. It’s also possible to use a distinct mix of cheese if you happen to choose 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’ll be able to add to make it a full meal or amp of the flavour!
- Sizzling sauce. My husband ALWAYS provides sizzling sauce to his mac and cheese. Doesn’t matter if it’s selfmade or from a field. He loves the warmth and tang that sizzling sauce offers.
- Hen. Actually any form of protein would work nicely in mac and cheese, however cooked hen blended in is an easy strategy to make this a full meal. And if you happen to actually need to take it there, attempt hen 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 sincere, 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 way in which it really works if you end up utilizing actual cheese. Whereas it can lose a little bit of the creamy texture you’ll be able to completely retailer this and luxuriate 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!
Extra Mac and Cheese Recipes To Strive
Description
This can be 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 entire 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
- 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 in keeping with 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 ceaselessly 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
One of these mac and cheese is at all times greatest when loved the identical day. You may at all times retailer hermetic within the fridge and reheat within the microwave with a splash of milk!
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