By Week 372. Year 8. Tommy is 41. Spring cleaning and pit maintenance. The mortar checked, the grate inspected, the tools organized. The business running steady — DeShawn handling the big jobs, Marcus on the commercial side, the name Beaumont on the vans and the invoices and the reputation. Rémy (11) in school, cooking and fishing. The garden is producing. The bayou is running. The roux is turning.
Made crawfish Monica this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. Encore là — still here.
Crawfish Monica is the meal of the week, but mac and cheese is the meal underneath every week — the one Rémy asks for, the one that fills the kitchen with something steady and warm when the work is done and the tools are put away. This Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese has that same quality: rich, creamy, no drama, just good. When the house smells like cheese sauce and the table is set, it doesn’t matter what happened out on the job — everyone who walks through that door is walking into something good.
Copycat Panera Mac and Cheese
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shell pasta or cavatappi
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, warmed
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups sharp white cheddar, freshly shredded
- 1/2 cup American cheese, chopped (about 4 slices)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Make the roux. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns light golden and smells nutty.
- Build the sauce. Slowly pour in the warm milk and heavy cream, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5–7 minutes.
- Season. Stir in the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Melt in the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add the white cheddar and American cheese in handfuls, stirring between additions until fully melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Combine. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to coat evenly. If the sauce feels too thick, stir in reserved pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches a creamy, saucy consistency.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika or extra shredded cheddar if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 620 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 32g | Carbs: 62g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 580mg