Anyone else love Panera Mac and Cheese? It’s one of my favorites.

Jake and I had a Friendsgiving get together and we decided to bring a side of Mac n Cheese! I didn’t want to bring any old boring recipe though. We thought we loved Panera’s so much, let’s try to replicate it! Now I know it is not the healthiest option, but sometimes it feels good to eat a little comfort food! AM I RIGHT?

This recipe is a great dish to make on a rainy day, for a Holiday party, or lazy Sunday dinner. I found a copycat recipe, inspired from the site below! Creamy white cheeses mixed with tender noodles, SIGN ME UP BABY!

Feel free to make it your own! I added crumbled crackers on top for some crunch.

Inspiration Recipe:

Ingredients Used:
**Purchase all cheese flavors in blocks and shred before starting recipe**
1/4 cup unsalted butter (we used brand Keri gold)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1-cup milk (We used whole milk)
2-cups heavy cream
1 cup Extra Sharp white cheddar (we used Fry’s Brand)
1/2 Cup Extra Sharp Yellow Cheddar (Tillamook Brand)
1/3 Cup Mozzarella/Colby Jack Cheese mixed (Kroger Brand)
1/3 Cup Monterrey Jack Cheese (Kroger Brand)
1lb, pasta, cooked (Can change this depending on how many people you are cooking for)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
1. Heat pan and bring water to a boil. Add pasta noodles of your choice and see directions on box for cook time.
2. In a separate pan using high heat, cook butter until melted. Add flour and mix into butter for about one minute (make sure to watch this step so it doesn’t burn!)
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the rest of the ingredients in: heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Stir this until mixture starts to bubble up.
4. Once mixture starts to bubble add the shredded cheese in. Mix with rest of ingredients until melted and smooth!
5. Add in cooked pasta and stir. Let mixture sit for a couple of minutes and taste. Add more garlic salt or pepper based on taste preference!