I tend to get the same meal every time. A pastry, tomato and mozzarella panini, and large mac & cheese, all to share. I generally get the pasta for G. because I know she's most likely to eat that (she loves pasta! Not specifically mac & cheese, but pasta, in general), but we almost always end up switching off. Suddenly, G.'s asking for "sahwich?" while I start devouring the ooey, gooey, creamy, cheddar-y conchigliette.
Tonight, I was craving their "Mac & Cheese", but it's so cold out, neither B. nor I were about to go buy any, so I decided to just make my own. I was so delighted to find that my cheese sauce had nearly the same exact thick, smooth, and creamy consistency of Panera's! Even the flavor was close, though I was only able to use the cheeses I had on hand.
So, if you're looking for the comfort that only one of America's favorite coffee and sandwich shops can give you, then by all means, read on :) I promise, the most difficult thing you'll have to do is stir a pot of milk for a handful of minutes.
Creamy "Mac" & Cheese (serves about four)
- 8 oz pasta
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, preferably unsalted
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dairy milk, gently warmed
- 2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheese
- salt & pepper, to taste
At the bottom of this recipe, you'll find some opinions and recommendations for making mac & cheese (tips like what pasta shapes or types of milk and cheese to use, plus some fun extras). I always have to add my two cents! ;)
Anyway, here's the recipe!
Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions (al dente will hold up to the sauce better than too-tender pasta, but it's really your choice). Don't forget to salt your water! Taste the pasta half way through the cooking time to see if the water needs more salt. I recommend about 2 tbsp sea salt per 8 oz of pasta, but better to under salt than over salt. You can always add more while it's cooking.
Once finished, drain the pasta and set aside. Feel free to mix in a little butter or olive oil to keep the noodles separate. FYI, adding oil to your pasta water will not keep your pasta from sticking; only stirring it will ;)
In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to bubble, about 1 minute or so. This will ensure the flour is dissolved and cooked; if your end result tastes grainy or floury, you didn't cook the roux long enough.
Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking vigorously to ensure it incorporates and no lumps remain. Your mixture may initially clump up and separate, but it will thin out and incorporate as you whisk in more milk. Once it's all added, continue to gently whisk for a few minutes or so, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth and creamy (it should coat the back of a spoon).
Add the cheese and whisk until it's completely melted and incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add little pinches of salt and pepper, as necessary. If the sauce is too thick for you, just whisk in a little extra milk!
Fold in the pasta and serve immediately :)
To serve leftovers, mix in a little milk or cream to reconstitute the sauce.
Enjoy!!
Once finished, drain the pasta and set aside. Feel free to mix in a little butter or olive oil to keep the noodles separate. FYI, adding oil to your pasta water will not keep your pasta from sticking; only stirring it will ;)
In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture begins to bubble, about 1 minute or so. This will ensure the flour is dissolved and cooked; if your end result tastes grainy or floury, you didn't cook the roux long enough.
Slowly whisk in the milk, whisking vigorously to ensure it incorporates and no lumps remain. Your mixture may initially clump up and separate, but it will thin out and incorporate as you whisk in more milk. Once it's all added, continue to gently whisk for a few minutes or so, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture thickens and becomes smooth and creamy (it should coat the back of a spoon).
Add the cheese and whisk until it's completely melted and incorporated. Taste for seasoning and add little pinches of salt and pepper, as necessary. If the sauce is too thick for you, just whisk in a little extra milk!
Fold in the pasta and serve immediately :)
To serve leftovers, mix in a little milk or cream to reconstitute the sauce.
Enjoy!!
A note about mac & cheese: Okay, here are my opinions and recommendations.
For pasta, use whatever you want! I think the best will be a rather short and fat shape; my favorites are conchiglie/medium shells, cavatappi, campanelle, and, of course, macaroni. Have fun with it! There are even wheels and flowers and other fun shapes that kids can get into.
For pasta, use whatever you want! I think the best will be a rather short and fat shape; my favorites are conchiglie/medium shells, cavatappi, campanelle, and, of course, macaroni. Have fun with it! There are even wheels and flowers and other fun shapes that kids can get into.
For milk, use whatever percentage you like, though I'm a big advocate of full-fat everything :) I also always use dairy when cooking savory foods, though my family drinks soy. If you're going to use a non-dairy milk, I highly recommend unsweetened because the added sugars bring out the flavor of alternative milks like soy and almond, which isn't ideal when cheese is supposed to be the star of the show.
For cheese...the most important part...use whatever you want! My favorite is a combination of Vermont white cheddar with a more mild cheese, like Colby jack. But, by all means, do whatever you like best and experiment until you figure out what you love! Tonight, I used half sharp cheddar and half Mexican cheese blend because that's all we had. It was delicious! Another fun alternative is pepper jack all by itself. It has just the right hint of spice because it's mixed with the bechamel :)
For extra depth of flavor, 1/2 tsp dry mustard adds the perfect little something. Paprika is also great with creamy cheese sauces.
Lastly, my favorite way to serve many pastas, especially mac & cheese, is topped with crisp, golden breadcrumbs. For this recipe, mix 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter. Then sprinkle evenly over the finished mac & cheese and throw under the broiler for a minute or so, until the crumbs are golden. You can also throw the entire thing in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or so, until the sauce is bubbling (with or without breadcrumbs!).
For extra depth of flavor, 1/2 tsp dry mustard adds the perfect little something. Paprika is also great with creamy cheese sauces.
Lastly, my favorite way to serve many pastas, especially mac & cheese, is topped with crisp, golden breadcrumbs. For this recipe, mix 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs with 1 tbsp melted butter. Then sprinkle evenly over the finished mac & cheese and throw under the broiler for a minute or so, until the crumbs are golden. You can also throw the entire thing in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or so, until the sauce is bubbling (with or without breadcrumbs!).
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