I don't proofread my posts before I publish them... cause I keep my thoughts au naturale.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Panera Macaroni & Cheese Recipe (copycat)

I snagged this recipe from RecipeZaar.

SERVES 6 -8 

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces pasta shells
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 8 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6-8 ounces grated vermont white cheddar cheese
  • 1 ounce grated American cheese (optional)
  • 1 egg (optional)

Directions

  1. 1
    Boil 2 oz of pasta shells. Slightly undercook the pasta. Set aside.
  2. 2
    Microwave 4 tbs of butter with 8 tbs of flour for two minutes, stirring with a whisk after each minute.
  3. 3
    Then slowly add 2 cups of milk, stirring with the whisk constantly.
  4. 4
    Microwave the entire mixture for several minutes, stirring after each minute, until sauce thickens and takes on a matte finish. How many minutes will depend on the power of your microwave. (Mine took about 6 minutes).
  5. 5
    Add grated Vermont white cheddar to sauce. The sauce should be hot enough that the cheese will melt as you stir. If not, you may add the cheese then microwave a little more.
  6. 6
    For an extra creamy sauce, pour a small amount of the pre-cheese sauce into a separate bowl, add one egg and beat vigorously, then return the reserved sauce to the original sauce.
  7. 7
    Add cheese to taste. I used an entire 8oz block.
  8. 8
    Add a dash of grated American cheese (optional).
  9. 9
    Combine pasta and sauce, then pour into a well-greased baking pan. The pasta will absorb some of the liquid, so don't worry if the mixture seems more liquid-y than the way you would normally serve pasta. I used a 9 by 9 inches pan.
  10. 10
    Bake at 350 degrees covered for about 25 minutes or until bubbling and starting to become golden.

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