I've been bringing my 2 1/2-year-old daughter, G., to Panera for lunch on some of these cold winter days when B. is at work and I'm yearning to get us out of the house. It's the perfect spot for us because it's fairly quiet and relaxed, has a great array of foods to please a toddler, and we can pick up and leave at any moment. G. actually does really well, though, sitting quietly eating her lunch and staring out the window at the cars passing by.
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.
